by SATURDAY 23 JULY 2022, ADDIS ABABA. Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the multi-country monkeypox outbreak a global public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) following the reporting of over 16,500 cases and 75 deaths from 75 countries globally this year. Of these countries, 11 are Africa Union Member States (MS) accounting for approximately 12% (2031/16,500) of all reported cases with the highest case fatality rate (CFR=3.7%). Transmission is occurring in many countries that had not previously reported cases of monkeypox, and the highest numbers of cases are currently reported from countries in the WHO European Region and the Region of the Americas.
Since the beginning of 2022, a total of 2,031 cases (250 confirmed; 1,781 suspected) and 75 deaths (CFR: 3.7%) of monkeypox have been reported from nine endemic and two non-endemic AU MS including Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Liberia, Morocco, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and South Africa.
The majority of recently reported cases of monkeypox globally are in males, and most of these cases occur among males who identified themselves as gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM), in urban areas, and are clustered in social and sexual networks. Early reports of children affected include a few with no known epidemiological link to other cases.
There has also been a significant rise in the number of cases in West and Central African countries, with an apparent difference in the demographic profile maintained with more women and children cases than that observed in Europe and the Americas.
Africa CDC Response Support measures
Africa CDC has been closely working and will continue to work with affected African Union Member states. The Africa CDC Public Health Emergency Operation Center (PHEOC) was in alert mode since the beginning of the year with all the necessary planning and support to member states. Today, following the declaration of the PHEIC, the Africa CDC PHEOC is moved into activation mode. This will enhance support to the AU member states’ preparedness and response efforts, and enhance collaboration and coordination with the regional and global partners. From 7- 9 June, the Division of Laboratory systems and networks, Africa CDC in collaboration with the Nigerian Centres for Disease Control and the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), trained experts from 20 AU MS on monkeypox virus diagnostics in Abuja, Nigeria. Africa CDC has also distributed more than 3,600 test kits to AU MSs to support surveillance and detection needs in both endemic and non-endemic countries. We are also in preparations for two additional rounds of training to cover other member states. The Africa CDC Pathogen Genomics Institute is supporting and coordinating with AU MS for genomic sequencing for the virus. The Africa CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response Division will continue to engage ministries of health of the highly affected member states to further identify other areas of potential support.
Source: africacdc
