Publications

Since 1 January 2022, cases of mpox have been reported to WHO from 20 Member States across the WHO African Region. As of 3 November 2024, a total of 13,331 laboratory confirmed cases, including 75 deaths, have been reported to WHO. 

In 2024, as of 3 November 2024, 18 countries have documented 10,953 confirmed cases, including 53 deaths. The three countries with most of the cases in 2024 are the Democratic Republic of Congo, (n = 8,662), Burundi, (n = 1,579), and Uganda, (n = 359). Fourteen (14) countries are assessed as active: DRC, Burundi, CAR, Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mauritius.

A significant number of suspected cases, that are clinically compatible with mpox are not tested due to limited diagnostic capacity and never get confirmed. For this reason, suspected cases are also shown in this section. Care should be taken when interpreting these cases, as they are collected according to different case definitions. In some countries, suspected cases that are negative after laboratory tests are not removed from case counts.  

Burundi: On July 25, 2024, the Ministry of Health in Burundi declared an outbreak of mpox driven by clade 1b of the virus, following the confirmation of three cases by the National Reference Laboratory of the National Institute of Public Health. The situation escalated rapidly in the following weeks, and the outbreak continued to evolve. As of epi week 43, a cumulative total of 1,509 confirmed cases out of 3,557 suspected cases have been reported.  The overall positivity rate stands at 44%, indicating that a substantial proportion of tests return positive results for mpox. No death has been reported among the confirmed cases, which is an encouraging sign for the country’s response efforts. 

In epi week 43, a total of 222 confirmed cases were reported, a 9.7% increase from 183 reported in epidemiological week 42. Cumulatively, a total of 4,697 alerts have been reported, of which 87.3% were investigated and sampled. In the reporting week, out of 436 alerts reported, 403 were sampled and tested. Contact tracing efforts have listed and followed 7,852 contacts, with 403 of those traced in week 43 alone. Out of 49 districts, 43 (87.8%) have reported at least one confirmed case, of which 32 are still active.  Currently, 668 confirmed cases are in treatment facilities, while a cumulative total of 841 have been successfully discharged. By the end of the reporting week, the regional hospital in Gitega Province, central Burundi, reportedly exceeded its capacity due to the resurgence of mpox cases in its catchment area, prompting the installation of an additional tent to help manage the influx of patients. Additionally, the country continues to face the following challenges: insufficient fuel for field investigations, failure to decentralize surveillance activities, and low involvement of some health districts in community-based surveillance, all of which hinder the effectiveness of response efforts.

Gabon—in the control phase—reported its first confirmed case of mpox on 22 August in Libreville. The case involved a 30-year-old male who had recently traveled to Uganda, where he likely contracted the virus. Upon returning to Gabon, he developed symptoms, including fever, fatigue, and a generalized skin rash, and sought medical attention on 21 August. As of the last situation report on 6 October 2024, out of 15 suspected cases identified and tested, two tested positive for Mpox (the first case and a known contact of the first case). Genomic sequencing for clade determination was not performed.  Gabon moved into the controlled phase on 1 September 2024 meaning that it had not reported any new cases in the past 42 days. However, the country is encouraged to strengthen and sustain active case surveillance and other community-based interventions to ensure that no community transmission is missed.

The Central African Republic:  As of 27 October 2024, a total of 64 confirmed cases with 2 deaths (CFR= 3.1%) have been reported out of 387 suspected cases. The country has confirmed 9 cases with one death (in epi week 41) in the last 6 weeks out of 32 suspected cases. Seven (7) patients are currently hospitalized in different health facilities as follows: Gamboula (1), Batangafo (1), Paoua (1), and Mbaïki (4). 82% of confirmed cases are below 25 years old, including 28% under 5 years old. Eight health districts are still active out of the 15 that have reported cases since the beginning of 2024. The circulating Mpox strain in CAR has been identified as Clade Ia. Country response efforts include A training of 90 health workers in 5 health districts (Sangha-Mbaére, Bambari, Nana-Gribizi, Kémo, and Kouango-Grimari) on the management of Mpox cases (PCI, surveillance, and laboratory); Partner coordination meetings focused on resource mobilization have been held, with attendance from UNICEF, OXFAM, APSUD, WHO, and various NGOs.

Cameroon—in the control phase—as of 18 October 2024, the country has reported a total of 98 suspected mpox cases, of which 6 have been confirmed including two deaths, spread across 7 regions. The last confirmed case was reported on 7 September 2024. Clade Ia and II have been identified as the circulating strains in the country. Laboratory capacity for mpox testing remains limited, and there are challenges in community engagement and risk communication. Cameroon moved into the control phase on 1 September 2024 meaning that it had not reported any new confirmed cases in the past 42 days.