NAIROBI, OCT 18 – About 1,100 people across Africa have died from mpox, the African Union’s health agency said yesterday, warning that the outbreak was ‘out of control’ without further action.
In total, 42,000 cases have been recorded in Africa since January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said, with the first cases reported in Zambia and Zimbabwe.
It makes 18 African countries where mpox has been officially detected this year, he said.
“Mpox is spiraling out of control if we don’t act,” Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya said at an online media briefing.
“I am very saddened to inform you that we now have more than 1,000 deaths from mpox, as you can see this week, the 40th week, we have reported a total of 1,100 deaths.”
The majority of deaths occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicenter of the outbreak, which launched a vaccination program earlier this month.
But Kaseya said that across the continent there were still ‘more new cases week by week’.
“A total of 18 countries is too many, we cannot continue like that,” he said.
Kaseya once again urged international partners to step up efforts and called on them to immediately channel the funds promised to fight mpox.
“We now want to see concrete action on the ground to stop this epidemic,” he said.
Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is caused by a virus that is spread to humans by infected animals but can also be spread from person to person through close physical contact.
It causes fever, muscle pain and large skin lesions such as boils, and can be fatal. – AFP
