The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has warned that mpox cases are expected to rise over the next four weeks, with signs of flattening anticipated early next year.

Dr Ngashi Ngongo, chief of staff at Africa CDC, disclosed this during a weekly briefing on the outbreak.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared mpox a global public health emergency in August for the second consecutive year

This is following the spread of a new variant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to neighbouring countries.

Mpox, a viral infection transmitted through close contact, has already caused over 59,000 reported cases and 1,164 deaths across 20 African countries in 2024.

Mr Ngongo, however, said that intensified efforts were underway to address the outbreak.

“We are hoping that after about four weeks, we should see some plateauing of the outbreak as a result of all the current investments.

“Towards the end of quarter one, we can then see the bending of the curve,” he said.

However, he acknowledged that surveillance and contact tracing remained significant challenges.

To address these gaps, he said that the African CDC was deploying community health workers, epidemiologists, and infection prevention specialists to areas with confirmed cases.

He said that the Africa CDC had called for stronger surveillance systems and international collaboration to address the outbreak effectively.

WHO has maintained mpox’s global health emergency status, citing the rising number of cases, continued geographic spread, and operational challenges in mounting a cohesive regional response.

The global health body said that the outbreak continued to represent an emergency based on the need to sustain a unified response across countries and partners.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. While the disease is often mild, it can be fatal, especially in vulnerable populations.

The current strain has spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring countries, prompting international concern.

(NAN)