The Africa CDC has declared mpox a public health emergency

A public health emergency has been proclaimed by the health inspector of the African Union due to the increasing mpox outbreak on the continent. The declaration is considered a “clarion call for action.”

“We declare mpox as a public health emergency of continental security,” stated Jean Kaseya, the director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), during an online media briefing on Tuesday. “I declare with a heavy heart but with an unwavering commitment to our people, to our African citizens.”

“Mpox has now spread across borders, affecting thousands of people throughout our continent. Families have been shattered, and the suffering and pain have reached every region of our continent,” the speaker stated.

As of August 4, the CDC reported that 1,456 people had died and 38,465 cases of mpox had been reported in Africa since January 2022.

This statement is a clear call to action rather than just a formality. It is an acknowledgment that being reactive is no longer an option. In order to contain and eradicate this menace, we must act swiftly and decisively,” Kaseya stated.

Mumps causes pus-filled sores, rashes, and flu-like symptoms that are spread by intimate contact. Although most occurrences are mild, it can be fatal. The illness may pose a risk to minors, expectant mothers, and anyone with weakened immune systems.

Several African nations have been affected by the outbreak, most notably the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the virus was initially identified in humans in 1970.

The endemic strain identified as clade 1 was the initial source of the outbreak, which has now expanded to neighboring nations. However, routine close contact seems to be a more easy way for the new form, clade 1b, to propagate.

The rate at which the viral infection was spreading was concerning, the Africa CDC said last week. According to the research, there have been almost 15,000 instances of mpox and 461 deaths across the continent thus far this year, which is a 160% increase from the same time last year.

In 2022, a milder strain of the virus spread to over 100 countries, mostly through sexual contact. As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued its highest alert, a public health emergency of international significance.

Ten months later, the WHO declared the health crisis under control and ended the emergency.

The emergency committee will address the spread of a new clade, or variety, on Wednesday as they consider whether to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the WHO announced on Tuesday from Geneva.

Such emergencies were declared in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and in 2022 as a result of an earlier outbreak of mpox. Notifying health authorities of an increase in cases is the goal.