More than 15,000 Cases in 2024, the Africa CDC Declares Monkeypox Outbreak.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declares the monkeypox outbreak as a public health emergency in Africa.

On August 13, 2024, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared the monkeypox outbreak as a public health emergency in Africa and called on African countries to take urgent actions to prevent the continuous spread of the epidemic on the African continent. Here are the relevant details:

Current Epidemic Situation: Data from the Africa CDC shows that currently, at least 16 countries in Africa are affected by monkeypox; compared with the same period in 2023, the number of reported monkeypox cases in Africa has increased by 160% this year. Since 2024, more than 15,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in Africa.

Virus Characteristics: Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease. Initial symptoms of human monkeypox infection include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, and swollen lymph nodes, which can later develop into widespread rashes on the face and body. Most infected people recover within a few weeks, but some infected people have severe conditions and even die.

Historical Situation: Since the first case of human infection with the monkeypox virus was discovered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970, the virus has mainly been prevalent in western and central Africa. Since May 2022, more than 100 countries and regions worldwide have reported cases of monkeypox. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak as a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" in July 2022 and lifted this status in May 2023.

The director of the Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya, said that this decision will help mobilize resources to a greater extent, strengthen the international notification mechanism, and better respond to the epidemic. He also pointed out that the monkeypox epidemic is not just an African problem but a global threat and called on global partners to stand with Africa at this critical moment.