The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) says Africa has made significant progress in controlling mpox, one year after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a global public health emergency.
Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya told reporters on Friday that coordinated action by governments, communities, and health partners has led to a sharp decline in cases across the continent. Between January 1 and August 13, 2025, Africa recorded 97,144 suspected mpox cases, 29,849 confirmed infections, and 593 deaths in 24 African Union (AU) member states — a 34.5% drop in confirmed cases over the past six weeks.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Burundi accounted for over 80% of this year’s infections but have reported steep declines. Other countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania, and Ghana, saw smaller outbreaks.
Key response milestones include:
- 6 million mpox vaccine doses mobilised, with 951,000 administered.
- Diagnostic labs expanded from 2 to 69 in DRC and 1 to 56 in Burundi.
- 1,000+ community health workers deployed and 10,000 trained.
- Several countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Angola, Gabon, Mauritius, and Zimbabwe, have gone weeks or months without new cases.
Despite this progress, Kaseya warned that cholera is spreading rapidly across 23 AU member states, fuelled by humanitarian crises, flooding, poor sanitation, and cross-border transmission.
From January to August 2025, the continent reported 220,242 cholera cases and 4,620 deaths. The DRC recorded the highest toll, with 44,173 cases and 1,277 deaths, while Angola reported 27,728 cases and 776 deaths. Congo, Chad, and several other countries are also battling outbreaks.
To address the crisis, Africa CDC will launch a Continental Cholera Preparedness and Response Plan to coordinate cross-border action and mobilise resources.
Kaseya said the agency’s emergency group will soon decide whether to lift the mpox emergency status but stressed the need for vigilance.
“Even as we push toward zero mpox cases, the cholera threat is growing. Both demand urgent, coordinated action,” he said.
WHO Africa’s Dr. Patrick Otim urged countries to maintain strong lab systems, rapid case detection, and targeted vaccination, while Prof. Yap Boum of Africa CDC called for efficient use of limited resources: “One team, one plan, one budget — that’s how we win.”
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