Mpox deaths, Kenya surge among top concerns in Africa's outbreaks
August 21, 2025
Africa has made progress against mpox, with a 70 percent decline in confirmed cases, but challenges remain. Rising deaths, especially among people with HIV, highlight the need for stronger patient support, including food security. Kenya’s situation is especially concerning as cases spread from coastal areas to Nairobi, raising fears of exponential urban transmission. The Democratic Republic of the Congo shows improvement but continues to face regional spread and animal reservoirs. Promising vaccine campaigns, including U.S. support and Japan’s donation of LC16 for children, bring hope. Sustained vigilance, resources, and coordinated vaccination remain essential to containing the continent’s mpox outbreaks.
Mpox trends in Africa are shifting, with overall confirmed cases declining by 70 percent since the year’s peak, yet new challenges demand urgent attention. At the Africa CDC weekly briefing, leaders emphasized progress in surveillance and testing, but warned that deaths are rising, particularly among individuals with HIV and other underlying health conditions. Addressing food security and chronic disease management must become part of the outbreak response to reduce fatalities.
Kenya represents one of the most pressing concerns. The virus has expanded from coastal regions into Nairobi, a city of over 5 million people, raising the threat of exponential spread in dense urban settings. Clade 1b is driving the outbreak with a case-fatality rate of 2 percent. Africa CDC has pledged fast-tracked support, as Kenya prepares to launch a vaccination campaign on September 1 that will integrate immunization with surveillance.
Other countries are at different stages. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, once the main hot spot, is seeing cases decline but with spread to new provinces. Animal reservoirs in dogs, bats, squirrels, and rats highlight the need for a One Health approach. Liberia is improving, though test positivity remains high. Burundi’s uptick reflects stronger surveillance rather than uncontrolled spread, while Guinea’s 80 percent test positivity signals many undetected cases in the community.
Vaccine access remains a critical challenge. Africa requires 3.4 million doses, but only 219,000 U.S.-pledged doses have recently been authorized for shipment. Japan’s donation of LC16, already deployed to vaccinate over 28,000 people in Kinshasa, is especially valuable as it can be given to children, a group heavily impacted by clade 1.
Africa’s battle against mpox demonstrates progress, but sustained vigilance, equitable vaccine access, and holistic support systems are urgently needed to prevent a resurgence and protect vulnerable populations.