Africa CDC warns Mpox outbreak worsening, calls for urgent intervention

The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has announced a concerning rise in Mpox virus cases across the continent, with the organisation's Director General Jean Kaseya warning that the situation is spiralling out of control.

In a message shared on X, Kaseya highlighted the increasing spread of the virus noting, "I have to say it clearly and loudly that Mpox is getting out of control if we do not act," he said.

From April to August, the virus spread to 12 additional countries, with over 1,000 deaths recorded during this period.

Kaseya emphasised the urgency of moving beyond discussions and pledges, calling for immediate action.

"If we continue with meetings and discussions, we will not succeed. We are still talking about pledges being made. We ought to finalise all these discussions next week to translate the pledges into concrete money, tools, and vaccines for our countries," he added.

The Africa CDC, a specialised technical institution under the African Union, is responsible for strengthening the capacity of public health institutions across the continent.

Kenya is among the affected countries, reporting 14 Mpox cases and one death. The confirmed cases are spread across various counties: Nakuru (2), Kajiado (2), Bungoma (2), Taita Taveta (1), Busia (1), Nairobi (1), Mombasa (1), Makueni (1), Kericho (1), Kilifi (1), and Uasin Gishu (1).

Of the cases, eight individuals have fully recovered, while five remain under treatment.

Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa confirmed the country's efforts to manage the outbreak noting that contact tracing efforts remain a priority.

"Out of 68 listed contacts, 61 have completed the required 21-day follow-up, with three testing positive for Mpox. At our Points of Entry (POEs), 30,237 travellers have been screened in the last 24 hours. Cumulatively, 1,362,657 travellers have been screened across 26 POEs since the onset of the outbreak," Barasa said.

Low vaccination rates

Despite the growing threat, vaccination rates across the African region remain low. The Democratic Republic of Congo, where the virus was first detected, recently received its first batch of 265,000 MVA-BN Mpox vaccines.

Limited vaccine access continues to challenge many African nations, leading to a reliance on donations from Western countries. This situation mirrors the challenges faced during the Covid-19 pandemic, where many African states decried what they termed "vaccine apartheid."

Kenya has only recorded clade I of the virus, which is also prevalent in several African countries, including the DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.

The country recently received Mpox test kits from the World Health Organization and USAID to enhance testing capacity and prevent a backlog of samples.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting public health.

"As part of our ongoing efforts to manage and contain the spread of infectious diseases, the ministry is closely monitoring the Mpox situation across the country. Our health teams continue to work tirelessly, implementing preventive measures, conducting screenings, and ensuring prompt treatment for confirmed cases," Barasa said.

She added that health teams are conducting rigorous screenings at all points of entry and implementing contact tracing to prevent further spread while working with county health departments to coordinate effective response measures.