Mpox ⁣Outbreak ⁢in Africa: Over 700 Deaths⁤ Reported This Year

According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control‍ and Prevention, ​as of March 12, 724 people have died from‍ Mpox this year, including 104 more deaths in the past week.

A total of 26,544 ⁢suspected cases of Mpox have ‍been reported in the African continent this​ year, including ​3,161 additional cases during the⁣ same ⁤period, of which 5,732 were confirmed cases.

Most of the confirmed cases and deaths ​have come ‌from​ the Democratic Republic​ of Congo, the epicenter⁤ of the Mpox variant.

On the 12th, a confirmed case ‌of Mpox⁢ was ⁢reported in Morocco, ⁢North ⁢Africa, for the first time since 2022, bringing the number‌ of countries with⁤ Mpox outbreaks on the African continent this​ year to 15.

What⁢ is Mpox?

Mpox is an acute ⁣fever-rash illness caused by a viral infection.

Global Response to Mpox Outbreak

As Mpox spread across the Americas and Europe in May 2022,‌ the World Health Organization (WHO) declared‌ a public health emergency of international concern, the highest level of‍ public health alert, ⁢but lifted it in ‍May last year ‍as the spread subsided.

However, ‍this ⁤year, as the ⁤1b⁢ Mpox sublineage, ⁤a new variant with a relatively high mortality ⁤rate and rapid spread, has spread ‍mainly in Africa,​ the⁣ WHO ⁢re-declared a public ​health emergency on the 14th of last month, a year and‌ three‌ months ⁢later.

Key Statistics

• 724 deaths reported ⁢in Africa ⁣this year
• 26,544 suspected cases reported ‌in Africa this year
• 5,732 confirmed cases reported in Africa this ⁤year
• 15 countries with Mpox⁤ outbreaks on the African‍ continent ⁣this year