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Hans India
4 days ago
- Health
- Hans India
Mpox deaths surpass 1,900 in Africa since 2024: Africa CDC
Addis Ababa: The death toll from Africa's ongoing mpox outbreak has surpassed 1,900 since the start of 2024, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. During an online media briefing, Ngashi Ngongo, chief of staff and head of the Africa CDC's Executive Office, said that 27 mpox-affected African countries have reported 174,597 cases and 1,922 related deaths since the start of last year. "When we compare the data of last year and this year, we see that in 2025, we have already reported 94,300 cases that represent 117 per cent of the cases reported last year. On the confirmed cases, we have 29,084 (this year) compared to 19,713 (last year)," Ngongo said. He noted, however, that the continent has seen a steady decline in both confirmed and suspected cases in recent weeks, especially compared to the peak in May. Increased testing coverage was also highlighted as a positive sign in the fight against the disease, Xinhua news agency reported. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, was first detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958. It is a rare viral disease typically transmitted through body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials. The infection often causes fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes. The Africa CDC declared the outbreak a public health emergency of continental security in August 2024. The World Health Organization later designated it a public health emergency of international concern. Mpox spreads from person to person mainly through close contact with someone who has mpox, including members of a household. Close contact includes skin-to-skin and mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-skin contact, and it can also include being face-to-face with someone who has mpox (such as talking or breathing close to one another, which can generate infectious respiratory particles). Mpox causes signs and symptoms which usually begin within a week but can start 1–21 days after exposure. Symptoms typically last 2–4 weeks but may last longer in someone with a weakened immune system. Mpox causes signs and symptoms which usually begin within a week but can start 1–21 days after exposure. Symptoms typically last 2–4 weeks but may last longer in someone with a weakened immune system.
The Star
4 days ago
- Health
- The Star
Mpox deaths surpass 1,900 in Africa since 2024: Africa CDC
ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from Africa's ongoing mpox outbreak has surpassed 1,900 since the start of 2024, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Thursday. During an online media briefing, Ngashi Ngongo, chief of staff and head of the Africa CDC's Executive Office, said that 27 mpox-affected African countries have reported 174,597 cases and 1,922 related deaths since the start of last year. "When we compare the data of last year and this year, we see that in 2025, we have already reported 94,300 cases that represent 117 percent of the cases reported last year. On the confirmed cases, we have 29,084 (this year) compared to 19,713 (last year)," Ngongo said. He noted, however, that the continent has seen a steady decline in both confirmed and suspected cases in recent weeks, especially compared to the peak in May. Increased testing coverage was also highlighted as a positive sign in the fight against the disease. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, was first detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958. It is a rare viral disease typically transmitted through body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials. The infection often causes fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes. The Africa CDC declared the outbreak a public health emergency of continental security in August 2024. The World Health Organization later designated it a public health emergency of international concern.
The Star
30-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
Africa CDC urges aggressive action to curb mpox outbreak in southern Ethiopia
ADDIS ABABA, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for aggressive efforts to control mpox in southern Ethiopia to avert possible cross-border spread. The East African country reported its first mpox case on May 25 when a 21-day-old infant tested positive in Moyale near the Kenyan border. On Friday, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health announced that the number of cases has now reached six as three new cases were confirmed. During an online media briefing on Thursday evening, Ngashi Ngongo, chief of staff and head of the Executive Office at Africa CDC, expressed concern due to Moyale town's close proximity to neighboring Somalia. "The proximity to Somalia, and knowing all the challenges in Somalia, makes it that we really need to be very bold and aggressive to control this outbreak from the source so that it does not expand from the region," he said. Meanwhile, Ngongo said that the African continent has reported 139,233 mpox cases since the start of last year. Of these, 34,824 were confirmed and about 1,788 related deaths were recorded. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, was first detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958. It is a rare viral disease transmitted through body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials. The infection often causes fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes.
United News of India
10-05-2025
- Health
- United News of India
Mpox death toll in Africa surpasses 1,750 since 2024: Africa CDC
Addis Ababa, May 10 (UNI) The death toll from Africa's ongoing mpox outbreak has surpassed 1,750, as the number of cases reported since the beginning of 2024 approaches 130,000, 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 24 mpox-affected African countries have reported 129,711 mpox cases since the start of last year. Of these, 29,609 were confirmed and about 1,751 related deaths were recorded. Data from the African Union (AU)'s specialized healthcare agency showed that last week alone, the continent reported 3,553 new cases, including 758 confirmed ones and 12 new related deaths. Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda contributed to 93.3 percent of all confirmed cases reported during the past week. The Africa CDC further warned over the continued surge in mpox cases, as the total number of cases reported so far this year constitutes about two thirds of last year's total. The continent has recorded 52,082 mpox cases since the beginning of this year, it noted. Meanwhile, the Africa CDC has raised the alarm regarding the increasing trend of public health emergencies occurring throughout the continent. "In 2024, we had, in total, 117 moderate and high risk public health events. This year, we are already at 120. We have had 34 high risk, and 86 moderate risk events this year. This shows that the situation is not reducing," Ngongo said, adding that the top disease outbreaks reported by AU members so far in 2025 include mpox, cholera, dengue, and Lassa fever. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, was first detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958. It is a rare viral disease typically transmitted through body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials. The infection often causes fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes. In August last year, the Africa CDC declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of continental security. Shortly afterward, the World Health Organization designated the viral disease as a public health emergency of international concern. UNI XINHUA GNK
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Sierra Leone's mpox cases fuel African outbreak, health body says
Dakar: Sierra Leone accounted for half of Africa's confirmed mpox cases this week, the continent's main health body said on Thursday, adding that the West African country was fuelling the outbreak. Mpox is a viral infection that spreads through close contact and typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. It is usually mild, but can be lethal. It remains a public health emergency due to the continuing rise in the number of cases and the geographic spread of the outbreak, according to the WHO, which first declared the emergency in August last year. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ( Africa CDC ) said Sierra Leone reported 384 confirmed cases in a week, representing 50.7 per cent of all the continent's cases. Sierra Leone, which declared mpox a public health emergency in January, has seen a 63% jump in confirmed cases in just one week, Africa CDC official Ngashi Ngongo said in an online briefing. Ngongo said that funding was the main issue, but added that contact tracing and laboratory capacity also needed to be improved. "They have a bed capacity in mpox treatment centres of only 60 beds, but we are talking about 800 active cases," Ngongo said, adding that most infected people had to stay at home. Last August, officials said the budget to fight mpox was severely underfunded, and in February they warned funding cuts proposed by the United States earlier this year would threaten efforts to contain disease outbreaks. Mpox cases in high-burden countries Uganda and Burundi are on a steady decline, while cases in Democratic Republic of Congo are showing signs of flattening, said Ngongo.
