Mpox outbreak puts Africa on brink of official public health emergency

African disease control centre urges collective and collaborative approach' after cases rise by 160% in a year

The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said the agency is likely to declare a continental public health emergency over the growing mpox outbreak.

The Africa CDC's director general, Dr Jean Kaseya, said on Thursday that because of the increase in mpox cases and its continued spread across borders, he had resolved to start active engagement" with African Union member states to prevent the outbreak from becoming another pandemic".