The Mpox outbreaks in Congo and other African countries have been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organisation.
The virus has been confirmed among children and adults in over a dozen countries, and a new strain is spreading.
There are only a small number of vaccine doses available in Africa.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) recently declared the Mpox outbreaks a public health emergency, citing over 500 deaths and requesting international assistance to contain the virus’ spread.
“This is something that should concern us all … The potential for further spread beyond Africa and beyond is very worrying,” said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The Africa CDC previously reported that Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has been discovered in 13 countries this year, with over 96% of cases and deaths occurring in Congo.
There has been a 160% increase in cases and a 19% increase in deaths compared to the same period last year. So far, there have been over 14,000 cases and 524 fatalities.
Dimi Organa, chair of the Mpox emergency committee, mentioned that cases have been identified in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Kenya, where infections had not been recorded in previous outbreaks.
During the global 2022 Mpox outbreak, which affected over 70 countries, fewer than 1% of people died.