With the African region facing an unprecedented surge in mpox cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) has elevated its outbreak response to the highest level, requiring organisation-wide mobilisation and scale-up.

WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has also called for a meeting of emergency committee experts to determine whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.

Since the start of the year more African countries, previously unaffected by the disease, are reporting cases in an expanding spread of the virus.

The organisation noted that 15 African countries are currently reporting mpox outbreaks, with a total of 2 030 confirmed cases and 13 deaths so far this year compared with 1 145 cases and seven deaths recorded in 2023.  

Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, which were previously unaffected by mpox, have reported cases since mid-July 2024.

The WHO pointed out that in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which accounts for more than 90% of the reported cases, a new variant that emerged in September 2023 is circulating in its eastern region.

The new variant is known as clade 1b.

Neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda have reported cases of the new variant, while Kenya also confirmed cases of the new variant, the WHO said.

The organisation said analysis is ongoing in Burundi to determine whether the reported cases are owing to the new variant.

WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti explained that the WHO was collaborating with partners to reinforce outbreak control measures and ensure that communities were central to ongoing efforts to effectively end the outbreaks.

“The pattern of transmission varies across the region, with the spread of the new variant in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo linked to transmission through sexual contact and high population movement, while in South Africa most of the cases are among people identifying as men having sex with men. Transmission in West and Central Africa is associated with the 2022 global outbreak,” Moeti said.

However, she noted that further analysis was required to better understand the patterns of transmission to refine the response to the outbreak.

She highlighted that the organisation was coordinating closely to enhance contact tracing, leveraging experience from prior outbreaks to ensure interventions best supported and elevated the needs of key populations.

The WHO is also mobilising financial support to help countries effectively respond to the outbreak.

VACCINES AND THERAPEUTICS

The WHO is advancing the process for Emergency Use Listing Procedure, an approach to assess and list unlicensed vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics to expedite their availability for use during public health emergencies.

The organisation pointed out that it was already working closely with countries to develop their vaccination strategies and planned to roll out the vaccines as soon as they were available.

Vaccines were one among many public health tools that were used to control mpox, with Moeti explaining that Mpox was transmitted from animals to humans, with cases often found close to tropical rainforests where there were animals that carried the virus.

She said the disease can also spread from humans to humans through contact with bodily fluids, lesions on the skin or on internal mucosal surfaces, such as in the mouth or throat, respiratory droplets and contaminated objects.

“Treatment of mpox patients is supportive dependent on the symptoms. Various therapeutics that may be effective against mpox are being developed and tested. Prevention and control rely on raising awareness in communities and educating health workers to prevent infection and stop transmission,” Moeti pointed out.