On Tuesday, health authorities across the continent officially declared a continental emergency in response to the escalating monkeypox outbreak.
Monkeypox: A Public Health Emergency
A comprehensive response plan will be presented in the coming weeks to tackle what is being described as one of the decade’s greatest public health threats.
“We are declaring this public health emergency today to mobilize our institutions, our collective will, and our resources to act swiftly and decisively,” said Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Kaseya urged member states of the African Union, under which the Africa CDC operates, to “fast-track emergency authorization for mpox interventions, which will play a critical role in safeguarding public health and ensuring rapid access to life-saving measures.”
What is Monkeypox?
Monkeypox, also known as mpox, is a viral disease from the Poxviridae family, which also includes the virus that causes smallpox. The disease was first identified in laboratory monkeys in 1958, hence the name “monkeypox,” though the virus affects various animals and can be transmitted to humans.
Early symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. A rash typically appears one to three days after the onset of fever, usually starting on the face and spreading to other parts of the body. The lesions evolve through several stages before eventually scabbing over and falling off.
The disease is transmitted from animals to humans through bites, scratches, contact with bodily fluids, or the consumption of infected animal meat. Human-to-human transmission can occur through close contact, including exposure to body fluids, skin lesions, or respiratory droplets.
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While monkeypox is generally less severe than smallpox, it can be serious, particularly in individuals with weakened immune systems or in young children. There is no specific approved treatment for monkeypox, but antivirals and vaccines can help prevent and manage the disease. In 2022, the World Health Organization recommended renaming the disease to “mpox” to avoid stigma associated with the name “monkeypox.”
Africa on High Alert for Monkeypox
In 2024 alone, Africa has recorded over 15,000 infections and 461 deaths due to mpox across 18 countries. Last Thursday, the Africa CDC warned of the rapid spread of the disease and indicated its intention to declare a continent-wide emergency, the highest level of alert.
According to data presented by Kaseya, mpox cases in Africa have increased by 160% between 2023 and 2024, meaning the number of cases this year is projected to more than double compared to 2023.
At Tuesday’s press conference, Kaseya emphasized that more than ten million vaccine doses would be needed to contain the emergency, a far cry from the 200,000 doses currently available. “We have a clear plan to secure more than ten million doses,” he stated, adding that three million doses are expected to arrive in 2024, though details of the plan were not provided.
Mpox cases are rapidly multiplying across Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the epicenter of the outbreak.
The disease, which was already a health emergency of international concern between 2022 and 2023, has now spread to countries like Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, with new cases also emerging in previously unaffected provinces of the DRC.
The Central African Republic became the latest African country to declare an outbreak of mpox on August 1. As noted earlier, the mpox virus is primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact with blood, bodily fluids, skin lesions, or mucous membranes of infected animals.
Last Saturday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that the Emergency Committee, which advises on epidemic outbreaks with potential international repercussions, would meet on Wednesday to consider whether to reclassify mpox as a public health emergency of international concern.
This article was written originally in Spanish by Miguel Fernández in Cultura Colectiva News