The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported nearly 30,000 suspected mpox cases across Africa in 2024, with the majority concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The announcement, made on Monday, September 23, 2024, revealed that testing capacity in the DRC has been overwhelmed due to the surge in cases.
Over 800 suspected deaths from mpox infections have been recorded so far this year.
Neighbouring Burundi has also seen a rise in cases of the virus, which spreads primarily through close contact.
Though mpox is generally mild, it can be fatal in rare cases, causing flu-like symptoms and pus-filled skin lesions.
While the WHO did not provide figures for previous years, the African Union’s public health agency reported a 78.5% rise in new cases in 2023, with 14,957 cases and 739 deaths reported from seven affected countries.
Between January and September 15, 2024, Africa recorded 29,342 suspected cases and 812 deaths.
In August alone, 2,082 confirmed cases were reported globally, the highest monthly total since November 2022.
To address the growing outbreak, the World Bank’s pandemic fund announced on Saturday, September 21, 2024, that $128.89 million would be allocated to ten African countries to boost testing, prevention, and treatment efforts in the hardest-hit regions.
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