Mixed mpox picture in Africa shows successes, but challenges in newly affected countries
August 7, 2025
Africa’s mpox cases are trending down overall, but fresh concerns are emerging. Africa CDC reports exponential spread in Guinea, detection of clade 2b in the DRC’s Kinshasa, and rising cases in Liberia, Mozambique, and several newly affected nations. While Sierra Leone’s sharp decline—from 600 to 94 weekly cases—highlights the impact of strong surveillance and vaccination, other countries face resource gaps, weak health systems, and low community awareness. Liberia’s test positivity has surged to 72%, and Mozambique is reporting cross-district spread. These developments underscore the need for rapid case detection, targeted vaccination, and reinforced surveillance to contain evolving transmission patterns.
Mpox cases in Africa have decreased from earlier peaks, but the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is warning of troubling new developments. At the most recent weekly briefing, Incident Management Team lead Dr. Ngashi Ngongo highlighted Sierra Leone as a success story, with weekly cases falling from 600 in May to just 94. He credited intensified community surveillance, improved testing, and strong vaccine uptake. The country is also set to receive 3,000 additional vaccine doses from Ireland on August 11.
Despite this progress, total mpox cases and deaths in 2025 have already surpassed 2024 figures, and new outbreaks have been reported in Gambia, Cameroon, and Mozambique. Of the 27 African countries that have reported mpox cases over the past two years, 13 recorded new cases last week. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where clades 1a and 1b dominate, clade 2b has now been detected in Kinshasa and is linked to travel from West Africa. Neighboring Uganda and Burundi have also seen rising case numbers, likely related to a shift toward more active surveillance.
Liberia is experiencing eight consecutive weeks of increasing cases, with both clades 2a and 2b circulating. While testing coverage is strong, the positivity rate has jumped from 35 percent to 72 percent, and Montserrado County, which includes the capital Monrovia, accounts for more than half of all infections.
Mozambique, which is newly affected, has reported 170 suspected cases and 29 confirmed cases since mid-July. Infections have now been detected in a second prefecture, raising concerns about potential cross-border spread. In Guinea, exponential growth continues in Conakry, Faranah, and Kindia. Response efforts are hindered by limited resources, weak surveillance, delayed case detection, and low community awareness.
These trends show that while some countries have made significant progress, others face escalating challenges that require urgent attention, targeted vaccination, and strengthened surveillance systems.