The Nation Newspaper

Tag: mpox

  • Mpox cases drop by 58% across Africa but new outbreaks raise alarm — Africa CDC

    Mpox cases drop by 58% across Africa but new outbreaks raise alarm — Africa CDC

    The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has announced a sharp decline in mpox cases across the continent, revealing a 58 per cent drop between epidemiological weeks 19 and 30 of 2025.

    The health agency, however, warned of fresh outbreaks in three countries and urged continued vigilance to prevent further spread.

    The Director-General of Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya, disclosed this on Friday during the agency’s weekly press briefing webinar.

    He attributed the progress to strengthened national leadership, improved community engagement, and bolstered healthcare systems, all supported by Africa CDC and its development partners.

    “Through collaborative action, we are seeing a promising reduction in mpox transmission. This success is a reflection of our collective efforts to ensure that vaccination campaigns are reaching those at highest risk, and that our surveillance systems are better coordinated and more responsive.” Kaseya said.

    According to him, over 3.1 million doses of the mpox vaccine have so far been distributed across 12 African countries, with more than 886,000 individuals vaccinated.

    The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) alone accounted for 69 per cent of all vaccinated persons on the continent, making it the leading country in vaccination coverage.

    Despite the significant progress, Dr Kaseya expressed concerns about new mpox outbreaks reported in The Gambia, Cameroon, and Mozambique.

    He noted with particular concern the detection of multiple mpox clades, including the high-risk Clade IIb, in the capital city of Kinshasa.

    “These emerging threats remind us that we must not relent,” he warned. “Our member states must intensify surveillance efforts, especially in vulnerable populations, and continue targeted vaccination strategies. We cannot afford to backslide.”

    Kaseya emphasised the need to monitor mutations and transmission dynamics closely to avoid regional resurgence.

    Read Also: Edo, WHO earmark six councils for MPox vaccination

    Turning attention to another public health threat, the Africa CDC boss raised alarm over the increasing number of cholera outbreaks across the continent.

    He said that the disease had now spread to 23 African Union member states, with new cases emerging in Chad and the Republic of Congo.

    While he noted a gradual decline in both cases and fatalities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, the two most severely affected countries, Kaseya said the threat remained serious and underscored the urgent need for multisectoral intervention.

    He blamed poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure as the primary driver of cholera outbreaks, stressing that the continent’s fragile WASH systems were failing to protect communities from waterborne diseases.

    “We cannot defeat cholera if we do not fix the root causes,” he said. “There must be a coordinated approach involving ministries of health, water resources, education, and local governments to ensure safe water and improved sanitation reach every household.”

    To strengthen response efforts, Kaseya revealed that Africa CDC was expanding the role of its Incident Management Support Team (IMST) to include cholera interventions.

    The initiative, he explained, is being executed in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other global health actors, and will now function under the leadership of the Zambian Presidency.

    He urged African governments to bolster community-led surveillance, prioritise cholera vaccinations in high-risk areas, and improve integrated case management, particularly for patients with existing medical conditions that increase vulnerability.

    As he wrapped up the briefing, Dr Kaseya reiterated Africa CDC’s commitment to supporting member states with technical assistance, strategic coordination, and resource mobilisation.

    He said that while progress was being recorded, it remained fragile and required ongoing dedication from governments, communities, and international partners.

    “Our success depends on our unity, our resolve, and our ability to adapt to evolving threats,” he concluded. “Let us continue to act with urgency and responsibility to protect the health and future of our continent.”

    The Africa CDC continues to monitor the situation closely and is expected to provide updated guidance to countries in the coming weeks.

  • Edo, WHO earmark six councils for MPox vaccination

    Edo, WHO earmark six councils for MPox vaccination

    Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EDSPHCDA), in collaboration with the World Health Organisation and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said vaccination against the outbreak of Monkey Pox (MPox) would be conducted in six local governments.

    It listed the local government areas where the vaccination would hold to include Egor, Ikpoba-Okha, Ovia North East, Esan North East, Oredo and Esan West.

    Director of Disease Control and Immunisation, Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency and the Impact Plus Project Immunisation Specialist in Edo State, Dr. Eseigbe Efeomon, who disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting in Benin City, said all residents in the listed local governments would be vaccinated.

    Dr. Efeomon said those to be vaccinated would be based on the information already available to the agency.

    He said the vaccination would be for health care workers and those who were immuno compromised.

    Efeomon listed other diseases in the state to include Dengue fever, Lassa fever, Yellow fever, Mpox and Diphtheria.

    Read Also: Nigeria receives 11,200 Gavi’s Mpox vaccine doses

    “We had this meeting today with stakeholders in Edo State to create awareness about the Mpox vaccination campaign, which will be happening in Edo State shortly.

    “This is a targeted campaign to help reduce the incidence of Mpox previously known as Monkey Pox in Edo State among health care workers and those who are immuno compromised. So those are the targeted groups that we are looking at.

    “Health care workers and those who are immuno compromised will be receiving two doses of this vaccine to be fully vaccinated and be protected against the Mpox.

    “Edo State is one of the states where we had an outbreak of Mpox in the country. This is why this vaccination is currently ongoing with support from the Federal Government, WHO, UNICEF and the state government.

    “So, the agency is going to be carrying out this vaccination in six targeted local governments where these cases have been reported.

    “So, we are reaching out to various groups and unions and we’re using a list line to ensure those who are at risk of these Mpox get vaccinated and are protected”, Dr. Efeomon said.

    Edo State Coordinator of WHO, Dr. Eyo Nora, said the vaccine was safe.

    He said 2, 500 doses of vaccines were expected to be distributed to the six targeted local governments.

  • Mpox: 117 suspected, 14 confirmed cases in Cross River

    Mpox: 117 suspected, 14 confirmed cases in Cross River

    To address the outbreak of Monkeypox (Mpox) in Cross River State, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), has trained 200 community-based volunteers on Mpox response strategies. 

    The two-day training, conducted in three clusters, focused on Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) and surveillance, critical elements in tackling the growing outbreak.

    This initiative was necessitated by the 117 suspected cases and 14 confirmed cases of Mpox reported across eight local government areas: Calabar South, Calabar Municipal, Akpabuyo, Akamkpa, Ogoja, Yala, Yakurr, and Obudu. 

    The volunteers were equipped with essential skills to combat the disease. Their primary responsibilities include house-to-house awareness campaigns to educate the public on Mpox prevention, active case detection, contact tracing, and offering psychosocial support to affected families. 

    Read Also: Mpox: Gavi secures 500,000 doses of vaccines for Africa

    State Epidemiologist Mrs. Inyang Ekpenyong Ekpo, along with State Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO) Christiana Ugbong and other health officials, facilitated the training. 

    Organizers believe the program is a significant step in curbing the spread of Mpox in the state. The collaboration between the NRCS and the Cross River State Ministry of Health underscores the importance of local leadership and expertise in managing public health challenges.

  • Mpox: Gavi secures 500,000 doses of vaccines for Africa

    Mpox: Gavi secures 500,000 doses of vaccines for Africa

    The Vaccine Alliance, GAVI, has secured 500,000 doses of Mpox vaccine to be supplied to African countries impacted by the Mpox outbreak.

    The doses are expected to be delivered this year.

    Nigeria recently received a donation of 10,000 doses of Jynneos, an Mpox vaccine, from the United States (U.S) Government.

    According to the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), since the beginning of this year up to the end of Week 35th, a total of 26,544 cases had been confirmed, of which 5,732 were confirmed and 724 deaths were reported from 15 African Union (AU) member-states across all five regions of the continent.

    The case fatality rate (CFR) for the continent stands at 2.73 per cent.

    Read Also: N440m drugs contract: Speaker, five others ask court to stop arrest by ICPC

    Within the same period, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reported 67 confirmed cases from 1,031 suspected cases across 47 local government areas in 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The country has not recorded any fatality so far, though one suspected case was recorded in all the states of the federation and the FCT, except Borno State.

    In an advisory yesterday, Gavi said the vaccine was secured through an agreement with the Bavarian Nordic to rapidly secure the vaccines for Africa with the advance purchase agreement (APA) to be funded by Gavi’s First Response Fund.

    The Gavi’s First Response Fund was created after the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure rapid access to scarce vaccine supplies in future health emergencies.

  • Akwa Ibom records five cases of Mpox

    Akwa Ibom records five cases of Mpox

    Akwa Ibom government says it has recorded five cases of Monkeypox across the state from a total of 30 samples collected for diagnosis.

    From the samples four cases were confirmed initially including three males and a female, ranging from  two, four, 12 and 41 years of age.

    Samuel Etuk, a disease surveillance and notification officer who is with the state ministry of health had earlier announced the confirmation of the four cases but has confirmed additional one case.

    Etuk, confirmed the first four cases during the Media Review Meeting organised by the Breakthrough Action Nigeria (BA-N) in collaboration with the State Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (STBLCP), held in Uyo, the state capital.

    Read Also: Mpox: Nigeria records eight new confirmed cases

    On a WhatsApp group, he announced the confirmation of the additional new case. “Good morning everyone. We have another positive case of Mpox bringing the tally to five confirmed cases in the State,” he said.

    He had reported that contact tracing for any transmission was conducted while the affected persons had been placed in isolation.

    He said 10 community informants had been engaged per ward to work in catchment areas, reporting to the health facility focal person who in turn would forward the same to the local government disease surveillance and notification officers for an onward report to the Ministry of Health.

  • Mpox: AHF Nigeria calls for global action to address vaccine inequity

    Mpox: AHF Nigeria calls for global action to address vaccine inequity

    Due to the recent Mpox outbreak which has continued to pose a serious health threat in Africa, a global non-profit organization, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria has called for an urgent global action to address vaccine inequity. 

    In a statement, the foundation emphasised that it has been at the forefront of advocacy efforts, pushing for a pandemic agreement that ensures fair access to vaccines and treatments for developing nations.

    It said: “As part of the global AHF network, AHF Nigeria has raised concerns that the current response to the Mpox outbreak mirrors the inequalities witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “Africa’s severe Mpox outbreak, driven primarily by the new clade Ib variant, is particularly deadly for children and has impacted at least 13 African countries, with more than 22,800 confirmed cases and more than 620 deaths reported this year.

    “The Democratic Republic of the Congo has endured the brunt, accounting for 96% of cases and 97% of deaths. “We started our push for equity during the COVID-19 pandemic, where we saw the devastating impact of vaccine hoarding on African nations. Now, we are seeing similar challenges play out with Mpox,” said Dr. Echey Ijezie, AHF Nigeria, Country Program Director (CPD).

    “The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a global health emergency on 14th August 2024. However, despite the availability of vaccines, Africa continues to struggle with access due to high costs and limited supply. Bavarian Nordic, the maker of the Mpox vaccine Jynneos, is charging an unaffordable $100 per dose in Africa, exacerbating the crisis. AHF is urging Western countries and Japan to expedite the donation of Mpox vaccines to Africa and for the WHO to fast-track the approval of other viable vaccine options.

    “AHF’s advocacy extends beyond immediate vaccine delivery. The organisation is also pushing for a review of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, which has so far failed to ensure fair access to vaccines and treatments for developing nations. What we are seeing with Mpox reflects the gaps in the current pandemic agreement. We need mechanisms in place that guarantee equitable access to vaccines for all countries, especially during global health crises. AHF has continuously highlighted that without accountability and enforcement in these agreements, poorer nations will remain vulnerable to the monopolies of pharmaceutical companies and the unequal distribution of life-saving health products.

    “It can be recalled that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the global south, including many African countries, was disproportionately affected by vaccine shortages. While developed nations secured large quantities of vaccines for their populations, many African countries could not provide even a single dose to most of their citizens. This glaring inequality had catastrophic consequences, contributing to over 1.3 million deaths across the continent.

    “AHF Nigeria is echoing the calls of its global network for a more robust and enforceable pandemic preparedness plan that includes independent oversight, accountability, and real-time verification of compliance. Without such measures, the international community risks repeating the same mistakes with pandemics as they happen.

    “AHF Nigeria is urging the WHO and global health bodies to not only speed up the delivery of Mpox vaccines to Africa but to also ensure that vaccine production technology is shared with the region. Patent waivers and technology transfers are critical steps to enable local vaccine production and reduce dependency on Western manufacturers.

    “Dr Penninah Iutung, AHF Africa Bureau Chief, believes that “Without urgent action, the inequality we are seeing will only worsen, leaving African nations at the mercy of another public health disaster. We cannot afford to let history repeat itself,” she added. The Mpox crisis has also shone a spotlight on the broader issue of how global health agreements are shaped. AHF Nigeria reinforces AHF Global’s position that any pandemic agreement must include provisions for the global south, ensuring that the most vulnerable populations are not left behind.

    “Mpox spreads primarily through skin-to-skin contact, and symptoms include rashes and lesions on the skin. Vaccines are available, but the issue lies in accessibility and affordability.

    “With cases now rising in over a dozen African countries, including 48 cumulative confirmed cases of the 868 suspected cases in Nigeria, according to the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC) as of August 2024, the need for global cooperation has never been more urgent.

    “AHF Nigeria is calling on governments, international organisations, and pharmaceutical companies to prioritise public health over profits. This is not just about Mpox or Africa. It’s about global health security. Inequity anywhere is a threat to health everywhere.”

  • Akwa Ibom records five cases of Mpox

    Akwa Ibom records five cases of Mpox

    Akwa Ibom government says it has recorded five cases of Monkey pox across the state from a total of 30 samples collected for diagnosis.

    The state government said that from the samples, four cases were confirmed initially including three males and a female, ranging from  two, four, 12 and 41 years of age.

    Samuel Etuk, a disease surveillance and notification officer, who is with the state ministry of health, had earlier announced the confirmation of the four cases but  has confirmed additional one case .

    Etuk confirmed the first four cases during the Media Review Meeting organized by the Breakthrough Action Nigeria (BA-N) in collaboration with the State Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme(STBLCP), held in Uyo, the state capital. 

    On a WhatsApp group, he announced the confirmation of the additional new case.

    Read Also: Mpox: Nigeria records eight new confirmed cases

    “Good morning everyone. We have another positive case of Mpox bringing the tally to 5 confirmed cases in the State”, he said. 

    He had reported  that contact tracing for any transmission was conducted while the affected persons had been placed on isolation.

    He said ten community informants had been engaged per ward to work in catchment areas, reporting to the health facility focal person who in turn  would forward same to the local government disease surveillance and notification officers for an onward report to the Ministry of Health.

    Mpox spread from animal to animal and called, zoonotic while man to man is transmitted directly or indirectly through urine, faces, blood, sexual contact, broken skin, eyes, nose, mouth, contact with skin lesions and oral secretions.

    The disease symptom lasts 5-21 days, incubation period and include headache, swollen lymph, nodes, fever, back and muscle pain, lack of energy, rashes beginning on face to other parts such as palms, soles and feet,etc.

    Preventive measures include; avoiding contact with animals where Mpox is confirmed from sick or dead ones, avoiding contact with persons infected, isolation of infected animals. 

    Others include practicing of hand washing with soap, sanitizing of hand, meat cooking before consumption , and use of appropriate protective clothing and gloves while handling sick animals.

    He advised the public to report suspected cases at the nearest health facility or call the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). 

    On August 14,2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a Global Public Health Emergency of international concern in Africa after reviewing available data.

  • Mpox: Nigeria records eight new confirmed cases

    Mpox: Nigeria records eight new confirmed cases

    Nigeria has reported eight new confirmed cases of Mpox since August 23, 2024, with the disease spreading across 35 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 20 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), The Nation learnt yesterday.

    Records indicate a sharp increase in week 34, with eight confirmed cases reported, compared to just one case in week 33, 2024.

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) noted that at least 19 states, including the FCT, have each recorded one confirmed case of Mpox since the outbreak began earlier this year.

    This brings the total to 48 confirmed Mpox cases out of 868 suspected cases, a rise from the previous week’s report of 40 confirmed cases out of 830 suspected cases.

    The country has not yet recorded any deaths from the outbreak according to the Mpox situation report published on the agency’s website yesterday.

    NCDC records showed that Lagos had  (one), Rivers (two), Bayelsa (six), Abia (one), Delta (two), Imo (one), Edo (one), FCT (two), Anambra (two), Cross River (five).

    Others are Plateau (two), Akwa Ibom (four), Nasarawa (one), Oyo (one), Kaduna (one), Ebonyi (one), Benue (three), Enugu (eight), Osun (two), Kebbi (one), and Zamfara (one).

    The report clarified that “57 new suspected cases were reported in Epi week 34, 2024, compared with 25 cases reported in the previous week (Epi week 33).

    “Eight confirmed cases were reported in week 34 compared with one (1) confirmed case reported in week 33, 2024.

    “Twenty states and the FCT have recorded at least one confirmed case across thirty-five (35) Local Government Areas in 2024”.

    According to the agency, the age distribution of the cumulative number of confirmed cases showed that 17 cases were recorded among ages 0-10; seven cases were recorded among ages 11-20; nine cases were recorded among 21-30; eight cases were recorded among ages 31-40; and seven cases were recorded among ages 41-50.

    However, during the week, Nigeria received 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine as a donation from the United States government as part of efforts to combat the disease outbreak in the country.

    The vaccine, which is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of smallpox and Mpox in adults at risk, was officially handed over to the Nigerian government at a ceremony held in Abuja on Tuesday.

    During the same period, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) also reinforced its declaration of Mpox a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) after a 160% increase in cases this year.

    Read Also: Don’t distract Ganduje, Sule warns APC members

    In a letter dated August 23, 2024 and addressed to all  Ministers of Health African Union (AU) member States, Jean Kaseya, the DG of the Africa CDC said from January to August 2024, 17,541 cases and 517 deaths were reported across 16 African Union Member States, with a concerning case fatality rate above 3.9%.

    As a result, he noted that the Africa CDC’s Emergency Consultative Group, composed of senior scientific experts, recommended the declaration due to the rapid spread of the disease, limited surveillance, and inadequate vaccine access.

    However, the Nigerian government  announced that the donated vaccines will be rationed, prioritising frontline health workers, the most affected regions, and the most vulnerable populations until more doses become available.

  • Nigeria records eight cases of Mpox as outbreak spreads to 35 LGs, 19 States, FCT

    Nigeria records eight cases of Mpox as outbreak spreads to 35 LGs, 19 States, FCT

    Nigeria has reported eight new confirmed cases of Mpox in the last one week. 

    The  outbreak has spread across 35 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 20 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it also emerged on Friday.

    Records indicate a sharp increase in week 34 with eight confirmed cases reported, compared to just one case in week 33. 

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) noted at least 19 States, including the FCT, have each recorded one confirmed case of Mpox since the outbreak began earlier this year.

    This brings the total to 48 confirmed Mpox cases out of 868 suspected cases, a rise from the previous week’s report of 40 confirmed cases out of 830 suspected cases.

    The country has not yet recorded any deaths from the outbreak according to the Mpox situation report published on the agency’s website on Friday.

    NCDC records showed that Lagos recorded (one), Rivers (two), Bayelsa (six), Abia (one), Delta (two), Imo (one), Edo (one), FCT (two), Anambra (two), Cross River (five) cases. 

    Others are Plateau (two), Akwa Ibom (four), Nasarawa (one), Oyo (one), Kaduna (one), Ebonyi (one), Benue (three), Enugu (eight), Osun (two), Kebbi (one), and Zamfara (one).

    The report clarified that “57 new suspected cases were reported in Epi week 34, 2024, compared with 25 cases reported in the previous week (Epi week 33).

    “Eight confirmed cases were reported in week 34 compared with one (1) confirmed case reported in week 33, 2024.

    Read Also: Osun confirms two cases of Mpox

    “Twenty States and the FCT have recorded at least one confirmed case across thirty-five (35) Local Government Areas in 2024”.

    According to the agency, the age distribution of the cumulative number of confirmed cases showed that 17 cases were recorded among ages 0-10; seven cases were recorded among ages 11-20; nine cases were recorded among 21-30; eight cases were recorded among ages 31-40; and seven cases were recorded among ages 41-50.

    However, during the week, Nigeria received 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine as a donation from the United States government as part of efforts to combat the disease outbreak in the country. 

    The vaccine, which is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of smallpox and Mpox in adults at risk, was officially handed over to the Nigerian government in a ceremony held in Abuja on Tuesday.

    During the same period, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) also reinforced its declaration of Mpox a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) after a 160% increase in cases this year. 

    Mpox is a rare viral zoonotic infectious disease (i.e. an infection transmitted from animals to humans) that occurs sporadically, primarily in remote villages of Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests. 

    It is caused by the Mpox virus, which belongs to the  Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae.

  • Mpox: Nigeria records no deaths, confirms new eight cases

    Mpox: Nigeria records no deaths, confirms new eight cases

    …As the outbreak spreads to 35 LGs, 19 States, FCT

    Nigeria has reported eight new confirmed cases of Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox since August 23, 2024, as the disease spreads across 35 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 20 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it emerged on Friday.

    Records indicate a sharp increase in week 34, with eight confirmed cases reported, compared to just one case in week 33, 2024.

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) noted that at least 19 states, including the FCT, have each recorded one confirmed case of Mpox since the outbreak began earlier this year.

    This brings the total to 48 confirmed Mpox cases out of 868 suspected cases, a rise from the previous week’s report of 40 confirmed cases out of 830 suspected cases.

    The country has not yet recorded any deaths from the outbreak according to the Mpox situation report published on the agency’s website on Friday.

    NCDC records showed that Lagos had  (one), Rivers (two), Bayelsa (six), Abia (one), Delta (two), Imo (one), Edo (one), FCT (two), Anambra (two), Cross River (five).

    Others are Plateau (two), Akwa Ibom (four), Nasarawa (one), Oyo (one), Kaduna (one), Ebonyi (one), Benue (three), Enugu (eight), Osun (two), Kebbi (one), and Zamfara (one).

    The report clarified that “57 new suspected cases were reported in Epi week 34, 2024, compared with 25 cases reported in the previous week (Epi week 33).

    “Eight confirmed cases were reported in week 34 compared with one (1) confirmed case reported in week 33, 2024.

    Read Also: WHO seeks $87.4m to contain Mpox outbreak

    “Twenty States and the FCT have recorded at least one confirmed case across thirty-five (35) Local Government Areas in 2024”.

    According to the agency, the age distribution of the cumulative number of confirmed cases showed that 17 cases were recorded among ages 0-10; seven cases were recorded among ages 11-20; nine cases were recorded among 21-30; eight cases were recorded among ages 31-40; and seven cases were recorded among ages 41-50.

    However, during the week, Nigeria received 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine as a donation from the United States government as part of efforts to combat the disease outbreak in the country.

    The vaccine, which is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of smallpox and Mpox in adults at risk, was officially handed over to the Nigerian government in a ceremony held in Abuja on Tuesday.

    During the same period, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) also reinforced its declaration of Mpox a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) after a 160% increase in cases this year.

    In a letter dated August 23, 2024, and addressed to all  Ministers of Health African Union (AU) member States, Jean Kaseya, the DG of the Africa CDC said from January to August 2024, 17,541 cases and 517 deaths were reported across 16 African Union Member States, with a concerning case fatality rate above 3.9%.

    As a result, he noted that the Africa CDC’s Emergency Consultative Group, composed of senior scientific experts, recommended the declaration due to the rapid spread of the disease, limited surveillance, and inadequate vaccine access.

    However, the Nigerian government announced that the donated vaccines will be rationed, prioritizing frontline health workers, the most affected regions, and the most vulnerable populations until more doses become available.

    Mpox is a rare viral zoonotic infectious disease (i.e. an infection transmitted from animals to humans) that occurs sporadically, primarily in remote villages of Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests.

    It is caused by the Mpox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae.