Africa has registered since the beginning of 2024 A total of 122,344 suspected cases of MPOX (28.002 confirmed) and 1,730 suspicious deaths (167 confirmeds) For this disease previously known as monkey’s smallpox, the Public Health Agency of the African Union (UA) said Thursday.
The centers for disease control and prevention of Africa (CDC of Africa) indicated that 24 countries have reported MPOX infections since last year, being the last Malaui, which last day 16 reported its first cases.
«So far, four cases have been confirmed (in Malaui). Three of them are adults, one is a two -year -old boy and none has a history of recent travel, which means that there has been circulation of cases within the country, ”said the sub -manager of incidents of the CDC of Africa, Yap Boum, in a virtual press conference.
“Therefore, surveillance will be an important challenge to track and find cases of cases”Bouum added.
However, the deputy manager described as “promising news” the fact that the number of new cases confirmed in the continent in the last week (504) was lower than that of the preceding week (534).
The Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC), recalled, “has been and remains the epicenter of this outbreak,” by accumulating most cases and deaths.
As for vaccination at the continental level, «we still have ten countries that have received the vaccine, seven countries that are currently vaccinating it. The last to start was Liberia, ”said Bouum.
Something more than 1.44 million doses of vaccines have been distributed, so far, to stop the disease in Africa.
The health agency of the UA declared the Mpox on August 13 As an emergency of continental security public and, the next day, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the international health alert for the disease, a measure that WHO has also decided to extend.
EFE
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