By Ajibola Olaide, JKNewsMedia Reporter
EFFORTS HAVE been intensified by African countries one year since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, recording measurable progress in curbing the spread of the virus.
Coordinated action between governments, WHO, the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDCP), communities and international partners has expanded disease surveillance, strengthened laboratory testing, improved access to treatment, and enabled large-scale vaccination campaigns across the continent.
WHO states that Mpox remains a major public health challenge in Africa.
In the past 12 months, 28 countries have reported more than 174,000 suspected cases and nearly 50,000 confirmed cases, with around 240 deaths recorded.
Despite the scale of the outbreak, recent trends show positive signs. WHO data indicates that in the last six weeks, the weekly number of confirmed cases declined by 34.5% compared with the preceding six weeks.
Vaccine deployment has accelerated in several affected countries.
Over 3 million doses, representing almost half of the target supply, have been delivered across the continent.
More than 951,000 doses have been administered, and about 900,000 people have received at least one dose.
Thirteen of the 22 countries with active transmission now have vaccine deployment plans in place, while eight have begun vaccinating high-risk groups and close contacts.
Some countries have successfully contained outbreaks. Côte d’Ivoire has reported no new cases for 42 consecutive days, indicating that the outbreak is under control. Angola, Gabon, Mauritius and Zimbabwe have each gone more than 90 days without confirming new infections.
“Our collective efforts have been crucial in strengthening measures for an effective response,” said Dr Patrick Ramadan Otim, Programme Area Manager for Emergency Response at the WHO Regional Office for Africa.
“It is critical to sustain what works, which includes rapid case detection, timely targeted vaccination, strong laboratory systems, and active community engagement.”
The WHO and Africa CDCP jointly developed a continental Mpox Preparedness and Response Plan, implemented through the Incident Management Support Team with partner organisations.
“The partnership between Africa CDC and WHO highlights strong African leadership,” said Professor Yap Boum, Deputy Continental Incident Manager for Africa CDC.
“With limited resources, there is a critical need to be more efficient which means working as one team, with one plan budget and monitoring framework.”
Since August 2024, WHO has worked closely with member states to boost response capacity.
Other efforts include supporting national authorities with vaccine rollout, surveillance expansion, and laboratory readiness.
At the same time, governments have been urged to integrate mpox response into wider health programmes to ensure sustainability.
Persistent challenges continue to hamper progress. Limited vaccine availability, funding gaps, competing health emergencies, and inadequate access to treatment remain pressing issues.
Stigma also discourages individuals from seeking medical attention, while ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo disrupts outbreak control measures.
Looking ahead, WHO has set priorities for the next six months to consolidate gains and expand response capacity.
“Our priorities for the next six months are to expand community-based surveillance in high-risk areas, continue to procure and distribute essential supplies to hotspots, support the integration of mpox response into other health programmes for sustainability, support targeted vaccination and advocate for more funding for vaccine deployment,” said Dr Otim.
Authorities across the continent have committed to maintaining collective action to sustain the downward trend in transmission, while addressing gaps that threaten response gains.
The ongoing collaboration between WHO, Africa CDC, governments, and communities remains central to Africa’s efforts to control mpox and reduce its impact on public health.
