The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has expressed concern about the increase in cases of smallpox (formerly known as monkeypox) in Africa.
In an update on the smallpox outbreak in Africa issued last Friday, expressing concern about the increasing number of smallpox cases, the director general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jean Kasia, said the continent faces serious limited diagnostic capacity and other challenges related to the rapid spread of the disease in new countries and disparate attempts to control smallpox, and it will be necessary to increase coordination of efforts.
Data from the Africa CDC indicate that between early 2024 and August 23, a total of 21,466 probable smallpox cases and 591 deaths were reported in 13 African Union member states.
The 13 African Union member states that have reported cases of smallpox so far are: Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Liberia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda.
“ The reported cases and deaths are just the tip of the iceberg, given that monkeypox is most often a benign condition and that surveillance, testing, contact tracing and reporting are limited. Mr. Kassia said in a briefing message to African health ministers on the current smallpox epidemic in Africa.
He also warned of the high mortality rate from smallpox, which he said was typically between 3 and 4 percent, adding that the link between the disease and HIV was of particular concern for Africa.
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