New cases confirmed as Africa scales up mpox response

Kenya's Ministry of Health on Friday confirmed the country's fifth case of the mpox disease as the country provided updates on contact tracing, with 33 individuals currently under observation. Debra Barasa, Kenya's health cabinet secretary, said that so far, 124 samples have been tested for mpox, with 110 testing negative, nine still under analysis, and five confirmed positives.

In addition, 687,233 travelers have been screened at 26 ports of entry across the country, as the ministry ramps up surveillance efforts to control the spread of the disease. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that the continent is witnessing an upward trend in mpox cases.

While unveiling a joint continental response plan against mpox with the World Health Organization on Friday, Africa CDC said that the Democratic Republic of the Congo has emerged as the epicenter of the outbreak, accounting for 90 percent of reported cases on the continent.

Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, called for a unified approach to contain the outbreak while emphasizing the importance of coordination under the Africa CDC-WHO joint continental response plan.

"This is an important milestone for coordinated action between our agencies to support countries by strengthening expertise, mobilizing resources, and rapidly halting the spread of mpox," Moeti said. "By working together, we can achieve more, ensuring that communities and individuals are protected from this virus."

On Friday, the Africa CDC and United Nations Children's Fund also announced the arrival of the first shipment of 99,100 doses of JYNNEOS mpox vaccine in the DRC with an additional 100,900 doses coming on Saturday.

This shipment is expected to launch a critical vaccination campaign aimed at curbing the rising epidemic in the country, which has reported over 4,901 confirmed mpox cases, with more than 629 associated deaths since the start of 2024.

The continental response, co-coordinated by Africa CDC and WHO, emphasizes a community-centered, multisectoral approach tailored to the unique epidemiology and risk profiles of each African member state. The plan bolsters surveillance, laboratory testing, community engagement, and ensures the availability of critical countermeasures, while building resilient and equitable health systems.