Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The death toll from Africa’s ongoing mpox outbreak has surpassed 1,900 since the start of 2024, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. During an online media briefing, Ngashi Ngongo, chief of staff and head of the Africa CDC’s Executive Office, said that 27 mpox-affected African countries have reported 174,597 cases and 1,922 related deaths since the start of last year.
“When we compare the data of last year and this year, we see that in 2025, we have already reported 94,300 cases that represent 117 per cent of the cases reported last year. On the confirmed cases, we have 29,084 (this year) compared to 19,713 (last year),” Ngongo said. He noted, however, that the continent has seen a steady decline in both confirmed and suspected cases in recent weeks, especially compared to the peak in May. Increased testing coverage was also highlighted as a positive sign in the fight against the disease, Xinhua news agency reported.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, was first detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958. It is a rare viral disease typically transmitted through body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials. The infection often causes fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes. The Africa CDC declared the outbreak a public health emergency of continental security in August 2024. The World Health Organization later designated it a public health emergency of international concern.
Mpox spreads from person to person mainly through close contact with someone who has mpox, including members of a household. Close contact includes skin-to-skin and mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-skin contact, and it can also include being face-to-face with someone who has mpox (such as talking or breathing close to one another, which can generate infectious respiratory particles).
