Mpox declared a Public Health Emergency by Africa CDC
For the first time in seven years, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) officially declared a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS). It was declared because of the emergence and rapid spread of Mpox on the continent.
At least 13 African countries, including previously unaffected nations like Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, have reported Mpox outbreaks. So far in 2024, these countries have confirmed 2,863 cases and 517 deaths, primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 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.
The declaration will enable the mobilization 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.
Africa CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya emphasized the urgency of swift and decisive action: “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.”
In a speech by the Director General, he said, “This is not just another challenge; it is a crisis that demands our collective action, a moment that calls upon the very essence of our humanity, our unity, and our strength.
”Our continent has seen many struggles. We have faced pandemics, various outbreaks, natural disasters, and conflicts. Yet, through every adversity, we have risen, not as fragmented nations, but as one Africa—resilient, resourceful, and resolute. Today, as we confront the threat of Mpox, we must summon that same spirit of solidarity.
”But let me be clear: this is not just an African issue. Mpox is a global threat, a menace that knows no boundaries, no race, no creed. It is a virus that exploits our vulnerabilities, preying on our weakest points. And it is in these moments of vulnerability that we must find our greatest strength and demonstrate that we all learned from COVID by applying solidarity.”
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.