Congo Records 1,000 New Mpox Cases in a Week
Congo reported over 1,000 new Mpox cases in the past week, prompting a call from African health authorities for urgently needed vaccines to combat the escalating threat. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak in Africa a global emergency.
Mpox, related to smallpox but with milder symptoms such as fever and body aches, spreads mainly through close skin-to-skin contact, including sexual activity. Severe cases can cause lesions on the face, hands, chest, and genitals.
Congo, with 17,794 out of 18,910 cases and 535 out of 541 deaths this year, has seen the highest incidence of mpox among the 12 affected African countries. The actual number of cases is likely higher due to limited testing, with only about 20% of suspected cases being tested.
In the past week, Congo recorded 1,030 of the 1,405 new cases in Africa. The WHO’s global health emergency declaration aims to spur international support, including vaccines, as a new variant of mpox was detected in Sweden.
The Africa CDC has secured 215,000 vaccine doses from the EU and Bavarian Nordic, with additional donations from the U.S. and Japan. However, Congo’s health minister estimates a need for 3 million doses to control the outbreak, which has also spread to at least four neighboring countries.
