The Centre warned of potential local health threats if Swift containment measures are not in place
The recent surge in MPOX incidents in Sierra Leone has sparked concerns across the continent, the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
The Centre warned of potential local health threats if Swift containment measures are not in place.
The CDC in Africa said the rise in infectious diseases has contributed to a wider revival of the virus in West Africa and parts of Central Africa.
Africa CDC staff member Ngashi Ngongo shared the update during his weekly webinar briefing on the outbreak on Friday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that MPOX is a viral infection that spreads through close contact and usually causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions.
MPOX is usually mild, but fatal. The continued rise in case numbers and the geographical spread of outbreaks remain a public health emergency.
The person who declared it a state of emergency in August 2024.
Ngongo said Sierra Leone reported 384 confirmed cases in a week, accounting for 50.7% of all cases on the continent.
“Sierra Leone, who declared MPox as a public health emergency in January, saw a 63% jump in confirmed cases in just a week,” he said.
He said fundraising is the main issue, but added that contact tracking and laboratory capabilities also need to be improved.
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“They have bed capacity at MPOX treatment centres with only 60 beds, but we’re talking about 800 active cases,” he said.
He said most infected people must stay home.
He said the budget to fight MPOX in August 2024 was severely underfunded, and in February warned that the funding cuts proposed by the US earlier this year threatened efforts to contain the outbreak of illness.
“While the MPOX cases in Uganda and Burundi, Hibaden states, are steadily declining, the Democratic Republic of the Congo lawsuits show signs of flattening,” he said.
Nigeria News Agency (NAN) recalls that MPOX can be prevented by avoiding close contact with infected individuals and animals. Excellent hand hygiene practice, quarantine cases, disinfection of contaminated items, and use of personal protective equipment.
Vaccination is also recommended for high-risk groups, but public awareness continues to be key to controlling spread.
