Declaration of Health Emergency
The director general of the African Center for Disease Control (CDC), Jean Kaseya, has issued an alert on the outbreak of monkey pox, known as mpox, declaring it a health emergency. This announcement, made at a press conference on August 13, comes after a notable increase in cases in the last six months, driven by a new strain that is considered more dangerous than the previous ones.
Worrying Increase in Cases
Authorities have highlighted that the currently reported cases far exceed the numbers recorded during the WHO’s emergency declaration in 2022. According to epidemiologist Salim Abdul Karim, who participated in the decision, Africa has tripled the number of cases compared to that period. “The situation is much more serious than we could imagine,” he said.
Limitations on Surveillance
Kaseya noted that the current statistics could be just a small sample of the true extent of the problem. Many cases could go unnoticed due to limited capacity to conduct testing, contact tracing and reporting. ‘What we see is only the tip of the iceberg’, he warned.
Alarming Lethality Rate
Another aspect of concern is the case fatality rate associated with mpox, which currently ranges between 3% and 4%. This proportion is considered too high, and Kaseya and Karim have insisted on the need to take immediate measures to control the spread of the disease.
An Uncertain Future
With the rapid increase in cases and insufficient surveillance, African health authorities face a monumental challenge. The international community and local governments will need to work closely together to implement strategies to contain this growing threat and protect public health across the continent.
