Mpox Cases Rise in Ghana, Philippines and China – But Decline Overall
August 29, 2025
Ghana is now at the center of Africa’s mpox crisis, reporting an 87 percent jump in confirmed cases in just one week. While overall cases across the continent have declined since the peak of the epidemic, localized surges in Ghana, Guinea, and several East African nations highlight the continued threat. Globally, new spikes in the Philippines and China remind us that mpox is not contained to Africa. With clade Ib infections linked to travel and active community transmission persisting in Central Africa, vigilance, vaccine access, and coordinated international response remain critical to preventing another global resurgence of this evolving virus.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has sounded the alarm on a troubling development in Ghana’s escalating mpox outbreak. In the span of one week, confirmed cases nearly doubled from 167 to 313, an 87 percent increase that officials described as exponential. Ghana, along with Guinea, has already requested vaccine support from Africa CDC, underscoring the urgent need for wider access to countermeasures.
This surge stands in contrast to the broader continental picture, where mpox cases are down 76 percent since the epidemic’s peak. However, increases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Burundi, and Kenya demonstrate the uneven dynamics of the outbreak. Together, six countries including the DRC, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Guinea, and Liberia account for 86 percent of Africa’s confirmed cases. Sustained progress depends on strengthening surveillance and ensuring vaccines reach vulnerable communities before new waves take hold.
Globally, mpox remains a shifting threat. A recent World Health Organization surveillance report showed 47 countries reporting cases by the end of July. Particularly concerning was the Western Pacific region, where cases rose 160 percent in a month, driven by outbreaks in the Philippines and China. Meanwhile, travel-linked clade Ib cases were identified in China, Germany, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom, highlighting persistent risks of cross-border spread. Community transmission of this more virulent clade remains limited to central and eastern Africa but demands close monitoring.
Encouragingly, overall cases declined by 28 percent in African nations between June and July, while the Americas and Europe each saw reductions of 31 percent. The Eastern Mediterranean reported none. Yet Ghana’s outbreak is a stark reminder that localized surges can quickly reverse progress. Sustained vigilance, rapid vaccine deployment, and coordinated action remain the linchpins of containment.