Africa CDC Warns of Growing Mpox Outbreak

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has reported that the mpox outbreak in Africa is escalating, with over 48,000 confirmed cases and more than 1,100 fatalities since January. Ngashi Ngongo, the CDC's director, emphasized the urgent need for political and financial mobilization to prevent a pandemic that could surpass COVID-19 in severity. Uganda has emerged as a significant concern, reporting its first death from mpox this week and experiencing a rise in cases linked to sexual transmission and cross-border movement. The outbreak has now affected 19 African countries, including the newly impacted Mauritius. In the UK, the first case of the latest variant, clade 1b, has also been detected, raising alarms internationally. Central Africa accounts for the majority of cases and deaths, highlighting the urgent need for resources to manage this public health crisis effectively.