Africa No Longer Under Mpox Health Emergency: Africa CDC

Africa is no longer facing a public health emergency due to mpox, although the viral disease continues to be endemic in several regions, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, made the announcement on Saturday, following a similar assessment by the World Health Organization (WHO), which in September declared that mpox no longer constituted a global public health emergency, as per media reports.

WHO had initially designated mpox—previously known as monkeypox and related to smallpox—a worldwide public health emergency in August 2024 after a dual outbreak emerged, largely concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Public health interventions have since led to a significant decline in infections, with confirmed cases falling by 60% between early 2025 and late 2025. Over the same period, the fatality rate among infected patients dropped sharply from 2.6% to 0.6%, reflecting improved detection, treatment, and response measures.

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