DAKAR - Mpox cases continue to spread on the African continent, showing an increase of over 500 per cent from 2023, data from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) showed on Oct 31.

       The World Health Organisation declared mpox a global health emergency in mid-August, after a new strain began spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring countries.

       "The situation is not yet under control, we are still on the upward trend generally," Dr Ngashi Ngongo, of Africa CDC, told a briefing.

       Nineteen African countries have seen more than 48,000 suspected mpox cases - including 1,048 deaths - so far this year, according to the public health agency's data.

       Central Africa, which is the most hit by the outbreak, accounts for 85.7 per cent of cases and 99.5 per cent of deaths on the continent.

       The virus can be transmitted through close physical contact, including sexual contact.

       Its new strain, known as clade 1b, is also spreading to Europe and was detected in Sweden, in Germany and in Britain.

       "We need to continue mobilising the political engagement and also mobilising the financial support that is critical to get the current outbreak under control," Dr Ngongo said.

       "We do not want this mpox, especially the clade 1b, to become another sexually transmitted pandemic, which would be much more severe than Covid-19." REUTERS