MPOX TRACKER

Escalating violence in South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has forced 400 mpox patients to flee treatment centers, significantly increasing the risk of wider virus transmission, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). Jean Kaseya, MD, MPH, Africa CDC's director-general, emphasized the gravity of the crisis, reporting that four healthcare facilities have been destroyed or looted, and over 153,000 people have been displaced. Conflict has also disrupted disease surveillance, halting mpox reporting from South Kivu over the past two weeks.

The DRC remains the epicenter of Africa's mpox outbreak, which now affects 22 African countries, with 13 currently in the active phase. Cases are rising in six nations, including Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia, and South Sudan. In the Republic of Congo, where both clades 1a and 1b are circulating, nearly 70% of cases are among males. Capital cities such as Brazzaville (Congo) and Lusaka (Zambia) are now major hotspots.

Vaccination efforts offer some relief, with over 200,000 doses administered across seven countries, though the campaign is hindered by logistical challenges. The decentralization of laboratory capacity is helping streamline diagnostics, but U.S. foreign aid disruptions have severely affected the transport of mpox samples and vaccines. While the U.S. government has issued a waiver for humanitarian assistance, African health officials say guidelines on accessing these funds remain unclear.

In response, the African Union recently established an African Epidemic Fund to secure resources for epidemic preparedness and response, which Kaseya hailed as a "game changer." The fund aims to reduce reliance on foreign aid and promote local drug and vaccine manufacturing. As mpox continues to spread across borders, the continent’s leaders stress the urgent need for coordinated, well-funded responses to prevent a wider health crisis.