![Jean Kakuru Biyambo, from the Muja internally displaced persons camp, is seen at the Goma General Hospital where he has been receiving treatment against mpox in North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo [Arlette Bashizi/Reuters]](https://theafricadailypost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/mpox1-860x475.jpg)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Tuesday declared a “public health emergency of continental security” in response to the escalating mpox outbreak across the continent.
The decision comes as the viral infection, which spreads through close contact, has surged in recent months. The Democratic Republic of Congo is the epicenter of the outbreak, but the disease has spread to several neighboring countries.
Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said the declaration is a call to action to mobilize resources and swiftly contain the outbreak. The agency reported over 15,000 cases and 461 deaths from mpox this year alone, a significant increase compared to the same period last year.
A new, more easily transmissible variant of the virus has been identified, posing a greater threat to the population, particularly children. Despite the severity of the situation, the continent faces a shortage of vaccines, with only about 200,000 doses available. Africa CDC aims to secure over 10 million doses to address the crisis.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is set to convene an emergency committee to assess if the outbreak warrants a global health emergency declaration. The previous mpox outbreak in 2022 prompted a similar declaration, which was lifted after cases subsided.
