Addis Ababa, Nov 15 (UNI) Three months after the declaration of mpox as a public health emergency of continental security, the spread of the virus is not slowing as the number of cases reported so far this year surpassed 53,000, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has warned.
During an online media briefing Thursday evening, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said 19 African countries have reported 53,903 mpox cases, with 11,147 confirmed and 1,109 deaths since the start of this year. During last week alone, the African continent reported 2,836 new cases, including 461 confirmed cases and 34 new deaths.
Data from the African Union's specialized healthcare agency show that the number of confirmed mpox cases in Africa has surged by over 569 percent this year compared to the total of last year. Stressing the severity of the crisis, Kaseya said the mpox outbreak is not slowing even three months after the declaration of mpox as a continental health emergency by the Africa CDC.