In Africa, around 1,100 people have died from mpox, a disease that has spread quickly across the continent. The African Union’s health agency (Africa CDC) said on Thursday that the disease is getting out of control unless something is done soon.
Since January, there have been 42,000 cases of mpox reported in Africa. New cases have been found in Zambia and Zimbabwe, bringing the total number of African countries affected to 18.
Jean Kaseya, the head of Africa CDC, spoke during an online meeting and said, “Mpox is getting out of control if we don’t act fast.” He expressed sadness over the rising death toll and confirmed that 1,100 people have died this week.
Most of these deaths have happened in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the outbreak started. The country has begun a vaccination campaign to try to stop the spread. However, Kaseya warned that new cases are still showing up every week.
He also called for more help from the international community, asking countries to release funds they promised to fight the disease.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, spreads from animals to humans but can also spread between people through close contact. The disease causes fever, body aches, and painful, boil-like skin sores, and it can be deadly.
