Africa Declares Health Emergency as Monkeypox Cases Surge Worldwide

On Monday, August 12, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a sharp rise in monkeypox cases globally, prompting widespread concern. The situation is particularly dire in Africa, where the African Union's disease control agency, Africa CDC, has declared a "state of health emergency" due to the outbreak.

Jean Casenya, Director of Africa CDC, made the announcement on Tuesday, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. “Monkeypox has now crossed borders and is affecting thousands of people across our continent,” Casenya stated at a press conference.

He stressed that the declaration is not merely symbolic but a “call for action” to contain and eradicate the disease. This emergency situation will mobilize resources for vaccine purchases and coordinate a continent-wide response.

WHO Meets to Discuss Global Alert

In response to the escalating crisis, the WHO's Emergency Committee convened on Wednesday, August 14, to deliberate on whether to declare an international alert. The decision could lead to heightened global efforts to address the outbreak.

Monkeypox, now referred to as mpox, is a viral disease transmitted from animals to humans, with human-to-human transmission occurring through close physical contact. The current outbreak has seen a worrying increase in both the number of cases and the geographical spread.

A Rapidly Spreading Crisis

Since January 2022, 38,465 monkeypox cases have been recorded across 16 African countries, with 1,456 fatalities. Alarmingly, this year has seen a 160% increase in cases compared to the previous year, according to data from Africa CDC.

A new, more viral strain, Clade Ib, first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in September 2023, is believed to be driving the surge. This strain is more lethal and easily transmissible than its predecessors, with symptoms that include widespread skin rashes, a stark contrast to the localized rashes seen with earlier strains.

Monkeypox was first identified in humans in 1970 in the DRC. Historically, the disease remained confined to West and Central Africa, primarily transmitted through animal contact. However, in 2022, an epidemic spread the virus to nearly 100 countries, leading the WHO to declare a global alert, which was lifted in May 2023 after approximately 90,000 cases and 140 deaths were recorded.

Countries at Risk

The WHO has flagged eastern DRC and neighboring areas as high-risk zones for mpox transmission, with the virus predominantly affecting adults through sexual contact. In Nigeria and other parts of West, Central, and East Africa, there is a moderate risk for both children and adults.

Globally, the risk associated with Clade IIb, which has primarily affected men who have sex with men, remains moderate. Outside Africa, European countries such as Spain, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany have reported high cumulative numbers of cases from January 2022 to June 2024, ranking among the top ten globally.

As the situation develops, international health agencies and governments are closely monitoring the outbreak, seeking to curb the spread of this dangerous virus.