MPOX TRACKER

Mpox continues its aggressive spread across Africa in early 2025, with the continent already reaching nearly half the total number of cases reported during all of 2024, according to Africa CDC Director Dr. Jean Kaseya. Uganda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remain the hardest-hit nations, accounting for 95% of cases last week alone. Yet in the DRC, the full scale of the outbreak is obscured by low testing coverage—just 18.4%—due to armed conflict and logistical breakdowns following major foreign aid cuts.

The public health crisis is further compounded by a concurrent measles outbreak in the DRC, with more than 12,000 cases and 180 deaths reported this year. The bulk of these cases are concentrated in North and South Kivu, provinces that are increasingly inaccessible due to violence. Africa CDC officials highlighted these overlapping outbreaks as part of a broader pattern of growing vulnerability within fragile health systems.

Meanwhile, Ghana reported its first mpox case in 11 weeks. The patient, a 29-year-old aesthetician with no travel history, was found to have a clade 2 virus infection—underscoring the need for vigilant surveillance even in countries with low caseloads. Tanzania has also seen rising numbers, while Uganda is preparing for the second phase of its mpox vaccination campaign amid a slight decline in cases.

In response to the worsening situation, Africa CDC has released a new concept paper on health financing in what it describes as “a new era.” With official development assistance dropping by 70% between 2021 and 2025, the strategy calls for increased domestic investment, innovative levies such as airline ticket fees, and blended financing models that support regional vaccine manufacturing and improve supply chain resilience. These measures aim to future-proof Africa’s health systems against emerging and re-emerging threats like mpox.