Africa CDC declares Mpox outbreak public health emergency

Dar es Salaam. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has declared the ongoing Mpox outbreak a public health emergency of continental security (PHECS), marking the first such declaration by the agency since its inception in 2017.

The African Union’s health watchdog is mandated to lead and coordinate responses to significant health emergencies in the continent.

The outbreak of Mpox, the high infectious disease that used to be called monkeypox, has spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to neighbouring countries.

The declaration will enable the mobilisation of resources across affected countries, unlocking essential funding, strengthening risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), boosting surveillance and laboratory testing efforts, and enhancing human resource capacities to respond effectively to Mpox through a one health approach, the centre said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

“Today, we declare this PHECS to mobilize our institutions, our collective will, and our resources to act—swiftly and decisively.

This empowers us to forge new partnerships, strengthen our health systems, educate our communities, and deliver life-saving interventions where they are needed most.

There is no need for travel restrictions at this time,” said Africa CDC director general, Dr Jean Kaseya.

At least 13 African countries, including previously unaffected nations like Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, have reported Mpox outbreaks.

So far in 2024, the countries have confirmed 2,863 cases and 517 deaths, primarily in the DRC, it stated.

Suspected cases across the continent have surged past 17,000, a significant increase from 7,146 cases in 2022 and 14,957 cases in 2023.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg when we consider the many weaknesses in surveillance, laboratory testing and contact tracing,” Dr Kaseya said, adding that it’s a crisis that demands collective action.

From May 2022 to July 2023, Mpox was declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by the WHO.

However, Africa did not receive the support it urgently needed during this period.

As global cases began to decline, the escalating numbers in Africa were largely ignored.

Dr Kaseya emphasised the need for a change in approach, saying; “We urge our international partners to seize this moment to act differently and collaborate closely with Africa CDC to provide the necessary support to our member states.”

He explained that the emergency declaration follows wide consultations, including a unanimous decision by the Africa CDC emergency consultative group (ECG), chaired by Prof Salim Abdool Karim, head of CAPRISA - an AIDS research programme based in Durban, South Africa.

Prof Karim highlighted that limited surveillance and evidence suggest the situation could be more severe than currently understood.

“The number of cases has significantly increased compared to 2022 when WHO declared Mpox a public health emergency.

It’s clear that we’re facing a different scenario with far more cases, resulting in a higher burden of illness,” he said.

He also raised concerns about the rising fatalities, particularly the potential link between HIV and Mpox.

“Our concern is that we may be seeing more fatalities in Africa due to the association with HIV,” he noted.

Tanzania has not reported any case of the Mpox so far but alerted public to take precaution measures.

Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, with two distinct clades: Clade I and Clade II.

Common symptoms include a skin rash or mucosal lesions lasting 2–4 weeks, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.

The virus can be transmitted to humans through physical contact with an infectious person, contaminated materials, or infected animals.