Africa CDC, WHO announce public health emergency as mpox cases rise
A rise in the number of mpox infections has prompted the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to declare a public health emergency of continental security.
The agency detailed that a more fatal type of mpox infection known as Clade I has been spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo throughout 2024, causing more than 14,000 cases and 511 deaths. The current death rate among infected individuals is 3% to 4% and more than 12 countries are affected by outbreaks, according to a report from The Associated Press. As a result, countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda have identified mpox infections for the first time.
The cases have been the most prevalent in children. These populations may be more vulnerable because they haven’t been vaccinated against smallpox since a proportion of them are malnourished and unable to fight the virus.
With the emergency declaration, the Africa CDC hopes to bolster international support. In response to rising case numbers among children and adults and outbreaks across parts of Africa, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern. In response, the United States has offered $424 million in aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo, $10 million to respond to the mpox outbreak and 50,000 mpox vaccines.
The U.S. CDC has issued a health alert for mpox with the hopes of raising awareness for the rising cases in Africa as well encouraging Americans to watch for symptoms of mpox infection.
Read more: The Associated Press
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