Addis Ababa, June 21
The death toll from Africa's ongoing mpox outbreak has surpassed 1,800, as the number of cases reported since the beginning of 2024 approaches the 150,000 mark, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
During an online media briefing on Thursday evening, Ngashi Ngongo, chief of staff and head of the Executive Office at the Africa CDC, said that 26 mpox-affected African countries have reported 148,308 mpox cases since the start of last year. Of these, 40,674 were confirmed and some 1,816 related deaths were recorded.
Data from the African Union (AU)'s specialised healthcare agency showed that last week alone, the continent reported 2,715 new cases, including 822 confirmed ones and 20 new related deaths.
Ngongo expressed concern over the rapid spike in the number of mpox cases in Sierra Leone, as the West African country accounted for 40 percent of all confirmed cases recorded across Africa during the past week.
Meanwhile, the Africa CDC has raised the alarm regarding the increasing trend of public health emergencies occurring throughout the continent.