Africa CDC declares Mpox a public health emergency

The mpox outbreak has spread rapidly across several African countries, with the Democratic Republic of Congo being the most affected. As of August 4, there have been 38,465 reported cases and 1,456 deaths on the continent since January 2022. The African Union's health watchdog has declared a public health emergency due to the growing outbreak, which has spread to countries including Burundi, the Central African Republic, Kenya, and Rwanda. The number of cases has increased by 160% compared to last year, with 887 new confirmed and suspected cases reported in the past week.