Nearly 30,000 suspected mpox cases reported in Africa this year: WHO

Mpox cases increased by 78.5% compared to 2022, says Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

By Gulsum Incekaya

ISTANBUL (AA) - Around 30,000 suspected mpox cases have so far been reported this year in Africa, with most of them in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

A total of 29,342 suspected mpox cases were detected across the African continent from the beginning of the year until Sept. 15, and 812 people have died, according to a WHO report.

WHO said that 2,082 cases were confirmed worldwide in August, marking the highest level since November 2022.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reported 14,957 cases and 739 fatalities in seven countries affected by the outbreak last year.

Africa CDC also said the number of cases in the mpox outbreak, which began in 2022, has now increased by 78.5%.

The World Bank announced on Saturday that it would provide $128.89 million to 10 African countries to combat the outbreak.

Kaynak: