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Health workers handling Mpox patients in Congo (courtesy photo)
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The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reported that mpox is spreading rapidly in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, a city of 17 million people. A case in Ghana brings the total number of affected countries on the continent to 16.
So far, 616 suspected cases have been recorded in Kinshasa, with 171 confirmed, according to a presentation by Africa CDC on Thursday. Although no deaths have been reported in the city, the outbreak is being driven by both clade Ia, which has been circulating for decades, and the newer, more infectious sub-variant, clade Ib.
“The number of cases in Kinshasa is increasing, prompting the need for urgent intervention,” Africa CDC stated.
While mpox has been endemic to central and west Africa for decades, this year’s outbreak, which began in eastern Congo, has raised concerns due to the apparent spread of clade Ib through sexual and close physical contact, leading to the infection and death of hundreds of children. Kinshasa, a densely populated city, has air links to many parts of the world.|
So far this year, more than 34,000 suspected cases of the disease, caused by both clades, have been reported across Africa — more than triple the number recorded at the same time in 2023. Approximately 95% of the cases are in Congo and Burundi, with 866 reported deaths.
About 5.9 million mpox vaccines have been pledged to Africa, with an immunization campaign set to begin in Congo on October 5. The continent will also receive a total of $1.1 billion in assistance, including $500 million from the United States, Africa CDC head Jean Kaseya said at the presentation. A decision will be made this week on how to allocate the U.S. funds, of which 60% are new, while the rest are repurposed from other programs, he added.
At the same time that the mpox outbreak is spreading, Rwanda, where the disease has also been detected, reported its first-ever cases of the deadly Marburg virus seven days ago.
Source: Health Agencies
