Congo | More than 1000 new cases of mpox have been reported in one week

(Cape Town) Congo has reported more than 1,000 new cases of mpox in the past week to Tuesday, as African health authorities desperately need vaccines to help combat its “growing” threat on the continent. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreaks in Africa a global emergency.

MPOX belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox, but causes milder symptoms such as fever, chills and body aches, and is spread mainly through close skin-to-skin contact, including sexual intercourse. People with more severe cases may develop lesions on the face, hands, chest and genitals.

While COPD has been reported in 12 of Africa’s 54 countries during these outbreaks, the vast central African country of Congo has recorded by far the highest number of cases this year. Of a total of 18,910 cases in 2024, 94% – or 17,794 – have occurred in Congo, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said, with 535 of the 541 deaths reported.

The figures are likely an underestimate, as only about one in five suspected cases in Congo are tested for MPOX. Africa CDC Director-General Dr.^r Jean Kaseya, said many affected African countries had limited testing and surveillance capacities.

Over the past seven days, Congo has recorded 1,030 of Africa’s 1,405 new cases, according to statistics released Tuesday night by the Africa CDC. Only 16% of the cases have been confirmed by virological tests, but the infections meet the agency’s definition of the disease.

The increase in the number of cases of mpox in Africa and a new form of the virus identified in Congo that could be more easily transmitted led the WHO to declare the situation a global health emergency last week.

Some hope it will encourage donors to share vaccines and other aid to stem outbreaks in Africa before cases spread internationally, with Sweden having recorded a case of the new variant of CoV first seen in eastern Congo.

The WHO has previously said that its past efforts to collect donations for MPOX have failed to secure a single donor dollar.

The D^r Kaseya of the Africa CDC said his organization had received a promise of 215,000 MPOX vaccines from the European Union and vaccine maker Bavarian Nordic, which were expected to arrive in the coming days. The U.S. aid agency said it had donated another 50,000 doses of the same vaccine to Congo. Japan has also donated some doses to Congo.

But Africa likely needs much more. Congo’s health minister said his country alone needs three million vaccine doses to end outbreaks there, which have spread to at least four neighboring African countries.

Unequal treatment of Africa

A global outbreak of mpox in 2022 that spread across more than 70 countries was brought under control within months thanks to vaccines and treatments made available in wealthy countries, but virtually no doses reached Africa. The virus had spread largely unnoticed for years in Nigeria and elsewhere before it attracted international concern. Since then, the virus has continued to regularly sicken people in Congo, with few effective containment efforts.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has criticised the global response to the 2022 outbreak as unfair, as treatments and vaccines were made available to wealthy Western countries while Africa received little support. In a statement, he urged the international community to ensure “equitable access” to COPD diagnostics and vaccines this time around.

Mr Ramaphosa’s comments evoked memories of Africa’s anger at being largely excluded from vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, Africa received doses much later than wealthier countries and had to pay more in some cases.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control last week recommended that travellers to areas affected by COPD should see if they might be eligible for vaccination, a move that could increase pressure to get the COPD shots.

The D^r Kaseya explained that MPOX is now “growing and spreading” as countries wait for doses. While Congo was clearly the country of greatest concern, he said it was notable that cases in neighboring Burundi had more than doubled to 572 in a week.

The D^r Kaseya also called for “solidarity” from the international community in the face of MPOX and specifically called for not imposing COVID-19-like travel bans on African countries that would isolate them, as the disease is not as easily transmitted.

“Don’t punish Africa,” he pleaded. “We need you to provide them with proper support. This vaccine is expensive.”