Africa CDC warns mpox is not under control, appeals for resources
Al Jazeera
AU health watchdog’s chief has said mpox outbreak is ‘still on the upward trend generally’ as cases spread.
The African Union’s health watchdog has warned that the mpox outbreak was still not under control and appealed for resources to avoid a “more severe” pandemic than COVID-19.
“The situation is not yet under control, we are still on the upward trend generally,” Ngashi Ngongo from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) told a briefing on Thursday.
More than 1,100 people have died of mpox in Africa, where some 48,000 cases have been recorded since January, according to the CDC.
Cases were still increasing in several countries as the continent struggled to contain another major outbreak coming on the heels of COVID-19 that exposed weaknesses in Africa’s health system.
So far, 19 countries in Africa have reported cases of mpox after an infection was detected in Mauritius, popular with tourists attracted to its stunning white beaches and crystal-clear waters.
