Mpox has spread to Ghana, while cases are increasing in the megacity of Kinshasa

The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is spreading rapidly in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, a city of 17 million people, and a case in Ghana brings to 16 the number of countries on the continent affected by the outbreak.

So far, 616 suspected cases have been recorded in the city, of which 171 have been confirmed, the Africa CDC said in a presentation on Thursday. Although no deaths have been reported in the city, the outbreak is driven by both clade Ia, which has been circulating for decades, and the newer, more infectious subvariant, clade Ib.

“The number of cases in Kinshasa is increasing, prompting the need for urgent intervention,” the Africa CDC said.

While mpox has been endemic in central and west Africa for decades, this year’s outbreak that began in eastern Congo has raised concerns because of the apparent spread of Ib through sexual and close physical contact, leading to infection and the death of hundreds of children. Kinshasa, a tight city, has air connections to many parts of the world.

So far this year, more than 34,000 suspected cases of the disease, caused by both clades, have been reported in Africa, more than three times the number recorded at the same time in 2023. Up to 95% of cases are in Congo and Burundi. and 866 people died.

About 5.9 million mpox vaccines have been promised to Africa, with an immunization campaign set to begin in Congo on 5 October. the presentation. A decision will be made this week on how to allocate the US funds, 60 percent of which are new and the rest reused from other programs, he said.

As the mpox outbreak spreads, Rwanda, where the disease was also found, reported its first infections with the deadly Marburg virus seven days ago.

Photo: Health workers at a medical facility dealing with mpox patients in Kinshasa in September. Photo credit: Makangara Ciribagula Justin/Getty Images

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