The ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control has reported that monkeypox continues to unfold within the area, with 44 confirmed circumstances and one dying recorded by the top of Epi Week 33, 2024.
Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Ghana are the hardest-hit international locations in ECOWAS.
The report was launched on Friday, August 16, and made out there to journalists on Saturday.
Mpox, or monkeypox, is a zoonotic viral illness brought on by the monkeypox virus, a part of the Orthopoxvirus genus. While it shares similarities with smallpox, it’s usually much less extreme.
The virus spreads from animals to people via direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, or lesions of contaminated animals.
Human-to-human transmission happens via respiratory droplets, contact with contaminated physique fluids, or publicity to contaminated objects.
“As of August 15, 2024, the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control continues to watch the Mpox state of affairs within the ECOWAS area, in addition to continental and world stage.
“As at Epi Week 33, a total of 44 confirmed cases and one death have been reported in the ECOWAS region since the beginning of the year; Nigeria (24), Cote d’Ivoire (11), Liberia (5) and Ghana (4),” the report revealed.
However, the African continent has continued to expertise vital challenges in controlling the unfold of Mpox, with a marked improve in circumstances and fatalities because the starting of 2024.
With 37,583 circumstances and 1,451 deaths reported this yr, the continent is dealing with an enormous public well being emergency.
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The Democratic Republic of Congo is bearing the brunt of this disaster, shockingly accounting for 96.3 per cent of all circumstances and 97 per cent of deaths continent-wide in 2024 alone.
The first half of 2024 noticed an explosive rise in infections throughout Africa—14,250 Mpox circumstances and 456 deaths—representing a 160 per cent improve in circumstances and a 19 per cent bounce in fatalities in comparison with the identical interval final yr.
The DRC stays the epicentre of the outbreak, with a case fatality charge of three.2 per cent, underscoring the severity of the disaster.
“However, the African continent has continued to expertise vital challenges in controlling the unfold of Mpox, with a marked improve in circumstances and fatalities because the starting of 2024.
“A complete of 37,583 circumstances and 1,451 deaths have been reported throughout 15 African Union Member States. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is essentially the most affected, accounting for 96.3 per cent of all circumstances and 97 per cent of deaths in 2024 alone.
“In the first half of 2024, the continent saw 14,250 Mpox cases, including 2,745 confirmed cases and 456 deaths, representing a significant increase in both cases 160 per cent and deaths 19 per cent compared to the same period in 2023. The case fatality rate stands at 3.2 per cent for 2024, with the highest burden in DRC,” it added.
In June 2024 alone, 567 new circumstances have been reported within the African area, highlighting the relentless unfold of the virus.
The Centre acknowledged, “June 2024 saw a global continuation of Mpox transmission, with 567 new cases reported from the African Region, further underscoring the ongoing public health emergency.”
The Regional Centre referred to as for a direct scaling up of response efforts.
It harassed the necessity for pressing public consciousness campaigns to teach communities about prevention and signs.
“We advocate strengthened surveillance techniques to promptly detect and reply to monkeypox circumstances. Timely reporting and sturdy case administration are important in mitigating the unfold of the virus.
“Given the cross-border nature of illness transmission, we strongly encourage enhanced cooperation amongst neighbouring international locations.
“Coordinated efforts in surveillance, data sharing, and joint outbreak response will be instrumental in containing the spread of monkeypox across borders,” it suggested.
The Africa Centre for Disease Control not too long ago declared Mpox a “public health emergency of continental security” because the virus has unfold throughout a number of international locations.
PUNCH Online reported on Wednesday that the European Union would donate 215,000 doses of vaccines to Africa in a major transfer to fight the continuing Mpox outbreak within the continent.