2024-08-13 17:55
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2024-08-13 17:55
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The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the health arm of the African Union, on Tuesday described monkeypox as a “public health emergency” for the entire continent.
photo. CHRISTINE UYANIK / / Reuters
Monkeypox has so far been mostly active in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where it has infected more than 14,000 people and caused 511 deaths since the beginning of the year, according to the WHO. The disease has long been present in the DRC, where it was first detected in 1970, but has seen a gradual increase in cases in recent years. The current outbreak is caused by a virus called clade 1b, which is highly contagious in close contact, especially among children.
In the past month, more cases of monkeypox have been reported from countries bordering the DRC. A week ago, the Africa CDC warned that the rate of spread of the disease was alarming. It said that since the beginning of the year, more than 15,000 cases of the virus have been reported across Africa, a 160% increase compared to the same period a year earlier.
“Monkeypox has already crossed borders, infecting thousands of people across our continent (…) It is with a heavy heart (…) that we declare mpox a public health emergency for continental security,” Africa CDC Director General Jean Kasenya announced in an online press briefing. He also called for immediate action to contain and eliminate the disease.
A few days ago, the Africa CDC called for “global solidarity” for monkeypox vaccines. Africa currently has access to only 200,000 doses of vaccines, when it needs 10 million.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Monkeypox Emergency Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday. During the meeting, experts will assess whether the current situation requires declaring the highest level of international health alert for the disease.
Monkeypox is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by a virus. The virus is transmitted through close contact. Monkeypox is characterized by flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, and muscle pain. It also causes pus-filled skin lesions that resemble pimples, making it difficult to distinguish from chickenpox. The disease is most common in Africa. (PAP)
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