Africa has recorded over 61,383 mpox cases and 296 deaths in 32 countries since early 2024, as continent-wide efforts to develop effective treatment options gather momentum across the continent.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

The statement followed the announcement of a collaboration agreement between Emergent BioSolutions and the Pandemic Preparedness Platform for Health and Emerging Infections Response (PANTHER).

The collaboration is to provide additional financial support for the Africa CDC-led MpOx Study in Africa (MOSA).

The MOSA initiative, launched in 2024, is a double-blind, platform-adaptive clinical trial designed to evaluate potential treatment options for patients diagnosed with mpox across multiple African countries.

Director General of Africa CDC, Dr Jean Kaseya, said the study was a critical step toward strengthening Africa’s capacity to respond to emerging and re-emerging public health threats.

“This study represents a critical step in generating evidence to inform mpox treatment and strengthen Africa’s capacity to respond to emerging health threats,” Mr Kaseya said.

He added that Africa CDC would continue to work closely with partners to advance research, improve preparedness and enhance rapid outbreak response across the continent.

An independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) completed its initial review of MOSA safety data in December 2025 after the first 50 patients were randomised, and recommended the continuation of the trial, with no safety concerns identified.

Commenting on the development, the Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research and Development at Emergent BioSolutions, Dr Simon Lowry, said the company was proud to support the advancement of the trial.

Mr Lowry said, “We applaud Africa CDC, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) investigators and PANTHER for their efforts in reaching this important milestone and remain committed to collaborating with research partners to address global health threats.”

The study, which initially received funding from the European Union and Africa CDC, has focused largely on the DRC, one of the countries most affected by mpox outbreaks.

Africa CDC and PANTHER plan to expand the trial to additional countries, including Uganda, as enrolment continues.

Africa CDC noted that the continent was affected by both major mpox clades, Clade I, which is endemic to Central Africa and associated with more severe illness, and Clade II, which is more prevalent in West Africa.

Recent outbreaks have also involved subclades such as Clade Ia, Ib, IIa and IIb.

Meanwhile, health experts said that the MOSA trial was particularly significant as there was currently no dedicated antiviral therapy for mpox.

According to the experts, this feat underscores the importance of Africa-led clinical research in improving treatment options and strengthening pandemic preparedness across the continent.

(NAN)