Africa CDC Reports Drop in Mpox Cases, Warns of New Outbreaks

• Aug 08, 2025

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has reported a major 58 per cent drop in mpox cases across the continent between epidemiological week 19 and week 30 of 2025. Despite this positive trend, the agency has warned of new outbreaks in Gambia, Cameroon, and Mozambique, urging African nations to maintain vigilance.

Speaking during the agency’s weekly webinar on Friday, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya attributed the decline to stronger national leadership, active community engagement, and better health systems supported by Africa CDC and its partners. He revealed that more than 3.1 million mpox vaccine doses had been supplied to 12 African countries, with over 886,000 people vaccinated so far. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounted for 69 per cent of all vaccinations.

However, Mr Kaseya cautioned that multiple mpox clades, including the high-risk Clade IIb, have been detected in Kinshasa. He stressed the importance of targeted vaccination campaigns and intensified surveillance, particularly among vulnerable groups.

Turning to cholera, the Africa CDC chief said the disease has now spread to 23 African Union member states, with fresh cases recorded in Chad and the Republic of Congo. The DRC and South Sudan remain the worst affected, although both have seen a slow decline in cases and fatalities. Poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure remain the main drivers of the disease’s spread, he noted.

To address this, Africa CDC is expanding the scope of its Incident Management Support Team to include cholera response, working in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other partners. The initiative will operate under the leadership of Zambia’s presidency.

Mr Kaseya urged member states to strengthen community-led surveillance, prioritise vaccinations in high-risk zones, and improve integrated case management, especially for patients with other health conditions.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease similar to smallpox, causing fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes. It spreads through close physical contact and contaminated materials but can be prevented through early detection, hygiene, and vaccination.

Cholera is a bacterial infection spread through contaminated food and water, common in areas with poor sanitation. While preventable through clean water, hygiene, and oral vaccines, it can be fatal if not treated quickly.