Mpox Outbreaks in Africa: A Rising Concern Amidst Vaccine Shortages

Mpox Outbreaks in Africa

In recent months, vaccines and treatments have remained largely out of reach in parts of Africa experiencing new mpox outbreaks. The health officials in Africa are striving to curb the spread of mpox, with fresh outbreaks declared in Kenya and the Central African Republic.

On Wednesday, Nairobi announced an outbreak following the detection of an mpox case in a traveler journeying from Uganda to Rwanda at a southern Kenyan border crossing. Earlier, on Monday, the Central African Republic was the first to declare an outbreak, which has spread to its capital, Bangui.

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral disease originating in wild animals that sometimes infects humans, who can then transmit it to others. Central African Republic's public health minister, Pierre Somsé, expressed significant concern over the mpox cases ravaging the country's region 7.

Mpox garnered global attention during the 2022 international outbreak, spreading to over 100 countries. It has been endemic in parts of central and west Africa for decades. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed sexual transmission of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for the first time in November. African scientists cautioned that this mode of transmission could complicate containment efforts.

In North America and Europe, mpox epidemics were managed through vaccines, antiviral treatments, and targeted public health messages for high-risk groups. Conversely, vaccines have scarcely been available in parts of Africa reporting outbreaks in recent months.

Time is running out for health authorities to control a new mpox strain in the DRC, which has been the hardest hit on the continent, recording over 12,000 cases and at least 470 deaths this year. The DRC faces challenges from a new strain that evades diagnostic tests, inconsistent disease surveillance, and shortages of vaccines and treatments.

This week, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) announced plans to test whether mpox vaccination protects high-risk individuals already exposed to the virus in the DRC. According to CEPI's chief executive, Dr. Richard Hatchett, the clinical trial results could be crucial for informing mpox vaccine use recommendations in endemic countries and ending this severe outbreak.

South Africa, which last recorded an mpox case in 2022, has also reported a new outbreak this year. In the Central African Republic, where mpox is most prevalent in remote areas, authorities have called for public support to aid government efforts in slowing the disease's spread.

The East African Community regional bloc has alerted member states about the mpox situation in the DRC, which borders five countries in the region. Burundi, one of these neighboring countries, has already confirmed three cases. Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, the bloc's deputy secretary general, urged partner states to disseminate necessary information about mpox and take preventive measures.