Africa CDC Reevaluates Mpox Emergency as Infection Rates Show Diverse Patterns
April 28, 2025 (ENA) — Addis Ababa In May 2025, a group of public health specialists will meet to assess if mpox should remain categorized as a public health emergency of significant concern for the continent.
Given the varied public health patterns observed, their choice is expected to be intricate, as African nations report simultaneous increases and decreases in infection rates.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, the Africa CDC Director General, has requested a review that will be overseen by the organization’s Emergency Consultative Group (ECG), with Prof. Salim Abdool Karim, an eminent epidemiologist, leading the group.
The meeting of the committee is set for May 17, 2025.
"Our specialists will examine all the data and evidence we supply to them, and they will inform us whether we should keep the public health emergency for continental security ongoing and what additional steps might be necessary," stated Dr. Kaseya during a press briefing.
This will mark the second official evaluation conducted by the ECG since mpox was designated as a public health emergency of continental concern on August 13, 2024; this is also the inaugural time such classification has been made since the founding of Africa CDC in 2017.
This review’s findings will shape both strategic and operational actions and might also affect funding opportunities and collaboration with partners.
During the ECG meeting held on February 26, 2025, the outbreak had grown from affecting 12 to 23 nations. Of these, seven countries were transitioning into the control stage, whereas 16 remained in the active phase—three of them (namely Burundi, Rwanda, and the Central African Republic) indicated some reduction in activity.
From 1 January 2024 through 28 February 2025, over 100,886 suspected cases were documented, out of which 22,728 were confirmed along with 69 related fatalities. Although there was a decrease of approximately 2.6% in reported suspect cases at the beginning of 2025, confirmed instances have risen sharply in Uganda, Nigeria, and the Republic of Congo.
In contrast, several nations such as Burundi, CAR, Kenya, Liberia, and Rwanda experienced advancements.
Outside of Africa, mpox has kept spreading. On April 4, 2025, China announced a Clade 1a infection. Just four days after that, Switzerland disclosed a Clade 1b case. Importantly, over 90 percent of the mpox cases recorded beyond Africa from February 2024 through February 2025 involved males.
Central Africa continues to be the focal point of the epidemic, with the Democratic Republic of Congo being particularly affected. The armed conflicts in the eastern part of the nation have hindered relief operations—causing more than 500 patients to flee treatment centers and increasing the risk of cross-border spread.
The testing coverage in the DRC has dropped to around 50 percent, and delays in fund disbursements are additionally hindering response efforts.
Adding another layer of complexity is the appearance of a novel and possibly more contagious variant – Clade 1A – identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the beginning of 2025. This contributes to the increasing variety of mpox subvariants within Clades I and II.
However, on a more positive note, vaccine uptake has improved among high-risk groups, including children. Ten countries have received vaccines, with seven already implementing vaccination campaigns.
The forthcoming evaluation follows the launch of an enhanced six-month strategy from Africa CDC, working alongside WHO and additional collaborators, aimed at addressing the period from March to August 2025. This strategic initiative aims to halt person-to-person spread within regions experiencing outbreaks and decrease mpox cases in endemic locations by half.
The strategy emphasizes dispersing diagnostic capabilities across different locations, incorporating local-level actions like proactive disease detection, tracking contacts of infected individuals, and improving communications about risks. Additionally, it aims to establish a consolidated database that connects monitoring efforts, laboratory tests, patient care management, and vaccine distribution.
A significant achievement in the mpox response so far has been the establishment of the Joint Continental Incident Management Support Team (IMST) based in Kinshasa. This team consists of 28 collaborating organizations and operates using a "Single Plan, Single Budget, Single Monitoring Framework" approach, which greatly enhances cooperation throughout the continent.
As the review scheduled for May 17 approaches, the panel’s choice will be crucial—not just for shaping the subsequent stage of the mpox response.