"MPox continues to be a major problem in Africa," admitted the director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Africa), Jean Kaseya, at his weekly press conference.
"We lost 53 people" in the last week, during which 3186 new infections were also recorded (489 confirmed), the Congolese doctor said, noting that so far in 2024, the number of confirmed cases has increased by 300 percent compared to 2023 .
The five countries most affected by the epidemic are the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRCongo) - a country neighboring Angola - the epicenter of the outbreak and where the vaccination campaign began on the 5th, Burundi, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Uganda.
The Africa CDC director also warned that the impact of mpox on children under 15 years old "remains high" in DRCongo, Burundi, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and the Central African Republic.
Kaseya highlighted the "need to prioritize research among this vulnerable population" and warned that screening capacity remains low across the continent.
CDC Africa declared mpox a "continental public health security emergency" on August 13, and the following day the World Health Organization (WHO) announced an international health alert for the disease.
The WHO's alarm refers to the rapid spread and high mortality in Africa of the new variant (clade Ib), the first case of which was identified outside the continent, in Sweden, in a person who traveled to an area of Africa where the virus circulates intensely. .
This variant differs from clade II, which caused an outbreak in Africa in 2022, as well as hundreds of cases in Europe, North America and countries in other regions, and has already led to the declaration of an international health emergency between 2022 and 2023.
According to the WHO, mpox is an infectious disease that can cause a painful rash, swollen lymph nodes, fever, headaches, muscle pain, back pain and lack of energy.
