Updated August 29, 2024: The World Health Organization (WHO) has formally declared a global health emergency of international concern for the mpox (formerly monkeypox) outbreak concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths have been recorded in the DRC in 2024 so far, with the outbreak rapidly spreading to surrounding countries such as Kenya and Uganda. Vulnerable populations, and those the most at risk, include women, children, and the immunocompromised.
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said, “Significant efforts are already underway in close collaboration with communities and governments, with our country teams working on the frontlines to help reinforce measures to curb mpox. With the growing spread of the virus, we’re scaling up further through coordinated international action to support countries bring the outbreaks to an end.”
As memories of the 2022 mpox (formerly monkeypox) outbreak fade in the Global North due to the effective control of the virus in this region, the disease continues to affect many in Africa, where the spread remains uncontained.
In 2024, South Africa reported 20 new cases of mpox between May 8 and July 2, with 18 hospitalizations and three deaths. This case-fatality ratio of 15% has grown severely since the 2022 rate of 0.2% in the Global North. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that of these 20 cases, all are men between the ages of 17 and 43 and around 50% identify as men who have sex with men (MSM). Around 75% of these cases have HIV and, therefore, a compromised immune response.
Researchers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) discovered an even deadlier strain of mpox than the one that caused the 2022 and the current South African outbreaks. In 2023, DRC reported over 14,000 cases and 728 deaths from this new strain. In 2024, there have already been over 11,000 cases and 445 deaths. The majority of deaths are occurring in children and those immunocompromised, reaching an estimated 6% fatality rate.
In South Africa, healthcare providers find it difficult to reach heavily stigmatized groups. The rural nature of many parts of DRC, as well as conflict, impede efforts to gauge the extent of infection in the population and deliver life-saving care. The United States and Japan have promised vaccines but have yet to reach the Global South.
WHO emphasizes that in the absence of these vaccines, other public health measures need to be taken to curb the spread and assist those infected, such as coordination of healthcare services, improved tracking of new cases, and increased communication of risks to the population. In the absence of these measures, the threat to citizens of these and surrounding countries, as well as to the global population, will only continue to increase.
By Sarah Ortega