NAIROBI: The African Union’s health agency on Thursday reported that over 1,100 people have succumbed to mpox across Africa, raising alarm over the escalating epidemic.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said that since January, the continent has recorded approximately 42,000 cases of the viral disease, which is also known as monkeypox.
Notably, new cases have emerged in Zambia and Zimbabwe, bringing the total number of African countries affected this year to 18.
During an online media briefing, Africa CDC Director Jean Kaseya emphasized the urgent need for action, stating, “Mpox is going out of control if we don’t act.”
He expressed his sorrow over the rising death toll, saying, “I’m so sad to say we now have more than 1,000 deaths due to mpox. As you can see this week, week 40, we have 1,100 deaths reported in total.”
The Democratic Republic of Congo remains the epicenter of the outbreak, having launched a vaccination drive earlier this month to combat the spread of the disease. Despite these efforts, Kaseya noted that the continent continues to witness “more new cases week after week.”
“Eighteen countries is too much; we cannot continue like that,” he warned. He urged international partners to fulfill their financial commitments to support mpox containment efforts. Kaseya called for immediate release of the pledged funds, stating, “We want now to see concrete action on the ground to stop this outbreak.”
Mpox is transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals but can also spread between people through close physical contact. Symptoms include fever, muscular aches, and large boil-like skin lesions, which can be severe and potentially fatal.
