Surge in Mpox Cases in Africa Raises Alarms

Nearly 30,000 suspected mpox cases and over 800 deaths have been reported in Africa this year, with the Democratic Republic of Congo being the hardest hit. The WHO highlights the spread to neighboring Burundi and a significant year-over-year increase in cases. The World Bank has pledged over $128 million to combat the outbreak.

Nearly 30,000 suspected mpox cases have been reported in Africa so far this year, with most occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo where testing kits have been exhausted, the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed on Monday. Over 800 people have died from suspected mpox across the continent during this period, according to the U.N. health body's report. The outbreak has also spread to Congo's central African neighbor, Burundi.

Mpox is known to spread through close contact and, while usually mild, it can be fatal in rare instances. Symptoms often include flu-like conditions and pus-filled lesions on the body. Comparative data from previous years were not provided in the WHO statement. However, the African Union's public health agency reported 14,957 cases and 739 deaths from seven affected countries in 2023, representing a 78.5% increase in new cases compared to 2022.

Based on the WHO report covering January to September 15, 2023, there were 29,342 suspected cases and 812 deaths across Africa. August alone saw a total of 2,082 confirmed cases worldwide, the highest number since November 2022. In response, the World Bank's pandemic fund has allocated $128.89 million to support ten African countries in combating the outbreak.

(With inputs from agencies.)