Africa is no longer under a public health emergency over mpox, the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has said, although the disease is still present in several countries on the continent.
The Director General of the Africa CDC, Dr Jean Kaseya, made the announcement on Saturday, noting that the region had made strong progress in controlling the viral infection through improved detection, treatment and vaccination.
His statement follows an earlier decision by the World Health Organization in September 2025 to end mpox’s status as a global public health emergency.
The WHO had declared mpox, previously known as monkeypox, a worldwide emergency in August 2024 after outbreaks spread across several regions, with the Democratic Republic of Congo at the centre of the crisis.
According to Kaseya, Africa decided to lift its regional emergency status after more than five million mpox vaccines were rolled out across 16 countries from 2024.
He said the strengthened response led to a major decline in infections and deaths across the continent.
“Confirmed mpox cases dropped by 60 percent between early 2025 and late 2025, while the death rate among infected persons reduced from 2.6 percent to 0.6 percent,” Kaseya said.
He, however, cautioned that the development does not mean mpox has been eliminated in Africa.
“The lifting of the regional public health emergency status does not mark the end of mpox in Africa,” he 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.”
Data from the WHO shows that Africa still accounts for about 78 percent of mpox cases globally, with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea and Madagascar among the most affected countries.
Health experts say continued surveillance and vaccination efforts will be key to preventing a fresh outbreak, as African countries move from crisis response to long-term disease control.
