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