Trending 
Africa is no longer facing a public health emergency over mpox, although the disease remains present in several countries, the head of the continent’s disease control agency said on Saturday.
“Following the recommendation of the Africa CDC Emergency Consultative Group (ECG), I hereby announce the lifting of mpox as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS),” the Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Jean Kaseya, announced.
Kaseya said the regional emergency status was being lifted following major improvements in detection, treatment and vaccination across the continent.
The decision follows a similar move by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which said in September that mpox was no longer a global public health emergency.
WHO had declared mpox, previously known as monkeypox, a global emergency in August 2024 after outbreaks spread rapidly, mainly in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kaseya said Africa was ending its emergency status due to enhanced detection and treatment, and that more than 5 million mpox vaccine doses had been rolled out in 16 countries since 2024.
He said the response helped cut confirmed cases by 60 percent between early and late 2025, while the death rate among infected patients fell from 2.6 percent to 0.6 percent.
However, he cautioned that the decision does not mean the disease has been eliminated.
“The lifting of the PHECS does not mark the end of mpox in Africa,” Kaseya said.
“Rather, it signals a transition from emergency response to a sustained, country-led pathway toward elimination.
“Mpox remains endemic in several settings, and continued vigilance, targeted investment, and innovation will be essential to consolidate gains and prevent resurgence.”
According to WHO data, about 78 percent of global mpox cases were recorded in Africa, with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea and Madagascar among the most affected.
