The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has reported a significant drop in mpox cases across the continent, marking a 58 per cent decline between epidemiological week 19 and week 30 of 2025.

However, the agency raised concerns over new outbreaks in Gambia, Cameroon, and Mozambique, calling for sustained vigilance.

Speaking during the agency’s weekly webinar briefing on Friday, Africa CDC Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya, credited the progress to stronger national leadership, enhanced community engagement, and improved health systems, supported by Africa CDC and its partners.

He noted that more than 3.1 million mpox vaccine doses had been distributed across 12 African countries, with more than 886,000 people vaccinated so far.

He said the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) alone accounted for 69 per cent of those vaccinated.

Despite the positive trend, Mr Kaseya warned of emerging risks, particularly the detection of multiple mpox clades, including the high-risk Clade IIb, in Kinshasa.

He emphasised the need for intensified surveillance and targeted vaccination campaigns, especially among vulnerable populations.

On cholera, Mr Kaseya said that outbreaks had now spread to 23 African Union member states, with new cases confirmed in Chad and the Republic of Congo.

He said the DRC and South Sudan remained the most affected, although there was a slow decline in both cases and deaths.

Mr Kaseya identified poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure as a key driver of the disease and called for coordinated, multisectoral action to curb its spread.

He said Africa CDC, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other partners, was expanding its Incident Management Support Team’s role to include cholera response efforts.

According to him, the expanded initiative will operate under the leadership of the Zambian presidency.

Mr Kaseya urged member states to bolster community-led surveillance, prioritise vaccinations in high-risk areas, and enhance integrated case management, particularly for patients with co-morbid conditions.

Cholera is a bacterial infection spread through contaminated food and water, especially in areas with poor sanitation.

It can be fatal if not treated quickly but preventable through access to clean water, good hygiene practices, and oral vaccines.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease resembling smallpox, causing fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes.

It spreads through close physical contact and contaminated materials, but can be prevented through early detection, vaccination, and hygiene measures.

(NAN)