Nearly 30,000 suspected cases of mpox have been reported across Africa so far this year, with the majority occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where testing capabilities have been exhausted, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday, September 23.
Over 800 people have died from suspected mpox infections during the same period.
In addition to the DRC, neighboring Burundi has also seen a growing outbreak of the virus, which typically spreads through close contact. Although mpox is usually mild, it can be fatal in rare cases and is characterized by flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.
The WHO did not provide comparative figures from previous years, but the African Union’s public health agency reported a 78.5% increase in new cases in 2023, with 14,957 cases and 739 deaths reported from seven affected countries.
Between January and September 15, 2024, Africa saw a total of 29,342 suspected mpox cases and 812 deaths. In August alone, 2,082 confirmed cases were reported globally, marking the highest monthly total since November 2022.
In response to the growing outbreak, the World Bank’s pandemic fund announced on Saturday, September 21, that it would allocate $128.89 million to help ten African countries combat the virus. This financial support is aimed at improving testing, prevention, and treatment efforts in the hardest-hit regions.