Africa lifts Mpox public health emergency after significant gains

Africa has formally lifted Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS), following recommendations from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

Jean Kaseya, the director general of Africa CDC, said the decision was reached following the recommendation of the high-level expert advisory panel, the Emergency Consultative Group, which called for a transition from emergency response to a sustained, country-led pathway focused on elimination.

"The lifting of PHECS does not mark the end of mpox in Africa. Mpox remains endemic in several settings, and continued vigilance, targeted investments and innovation will be essential to consolidating gains and preventing resurgence," he said in a statement.

Kaseya noted that systemic inequities, combined with evolving epidemiological patterns, contributed to the scale, spread and severity of recent outbreaks, particularly among vulnerable populations.

The continent reported 80,276 suspected cases and 1,340 deaths in 2024—representing a more than five-fold increase in cases and a two-fold increase in deaths compared to the same period in 2023.

According to World Health Organization records, 20 African countries reported cases of the zoonotic disease, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo bore a disproportionate burden, accounting for 96 percent of reported cases and 97 percent of deaths.

The declaration of mpox as a public health emergency in August 2024 was historic, marking the first time Africa CDC exercised its expanded mandate under the revised 2022 statutes to declare a continental public health emergency and coordinate a unified response.

The response mobilized over USD 1 billion in financing and strengthened community-anchored surveillance through digitalized community health workers. It also expanded laboratory and genomic sequencing capacity more than ten-fold, significantly enhancing detection and monitoring across affected regions.

In addition, over 5 million doses of mpox vaccine were distributed across 16 countries, and a unified research agenda was advanced, involving more than 2,000 African and global scientists.

"These efforts delivered measurable impact. Between the peak transmission periods in early and late 2025, suspected cases declined by 40 percent and confirmed cases by 60 percent. The case fatality rate among suspected cases fell from 2.6 percent to 0.6 percent, reflecting improved detection, care, coordination and accountability across all levels of response," said the statement.

To support this transition, Africa CDC, in close collaboration with WHO and other partners, will launch the Mpox Transition Roadmap to guide sustained prevention, preparedness and control efforts; preserve emergency-phase gains; and strengthen national systems for surveillance, laboratory capacity, research and risk communication.

victor@chinadailyafrica.com