Kenyan health settings widely use the GeneXpert system, which is the platform for the Xpert Mpox test, a real-time PCR test.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It spreads primarily through contact with an infected person, contaminated personal items, or sexual contact.

Nineteen African countries have seen more than 48,000 suspected mpox cases including 1,048 deaths so far this year, according to the public health agency's data.

The taskforce's proactive initiatives reflect a commitment to strengthening disease prevention, preparedness, and response frameworks.

Health Director General Patrick Amoth explained that the patient who passed away had pre-existing health complications.

WHO's latest decision comes after the EU approved the drug for the vaccine for adolescents in September.

The WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years in August after a new type of the virus spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to its neighbours.

Neighbouring Zambia also reported its first case last week without disclosing the strain.

Since the start of the year in Africa, there have been 844 suspected and confirmed deaths from mpox and about 32,800 suspected and confirmed cases, most of which were in Congo, according to WHO data as of Sept. 20.

The Health CS clarified that no cases of Marburg virus disease have been detected in the country.

For further inquiries or to report suspected Mpox cases, the public has been directed to contact the Ministry through the emergency hotline numbers: 719, 0729471414, or 0732353535. 

They will work closely with the Ministry of Health and other agencies to screen incoming visitors for signs of the virus.

Africa has seen over 32,000 suspected mpox cases including 840 deaths so far this year, according to Africa CDC data.

The Ministry of Health insisted on the importance of adhering to preventive measures to curb the spread of the virus.

The UNICEF appeal will also provide mental health support for parents and frontline workers who may face hostility from some communities in part because of the association of mpox with sex.

Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya said that several hundred high-risk individuals in Rwanda received the vaccine earlier this week.

Four of the five Kenyans confirmed to have contracted Mpox so far are truck drivers, with the fifth being a trucker’s spouse.

The first two cases in Uganda were confirmed in July.

The vaccine, known as MVA-BN, is administered in two doses, four weeks apart, to individuals over 18 years.

Canada would not say to whom it would deliver the vaccines, or in what time frame.

Africa has seen over 26,000 suspected mpox cases including 724 deaths so far this year, Africa CDC data showed.

Congo's health minister, Samuel Roger Kamba Mulamba, told reporters the newly arrived vaccine had already proved its worth in the United States and would be rolled out to adults in Congo.

Active surveillance for suspected cases is ongoing to prevent further spread of the disease. Currently, 33 contacts are under close observation.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is not new to the DRC. The disease is endemic in various regions, with case reports rising over the past decade.

The vaccine doses' arrival would help to address a huge inequity that left African countries with no access to the two shots used in a 2022 global mpox outbreak.

Residents were encouraged to report any suspected cases to local health facilities.

Depending on the production capacity of manufacturers, agreements for up to 12 million doses through 2025 can be made, according to the statement.

In addition, children in any outbreak setting are already vulnerable given their immature and still-developing immune systems, especially under the age of five.

Amoth said the patient is currently in stable condition and undergoing management in an isolation unit in Nairobi.