Nigeria has delayed its scheduled vaccination campaign as Mpox cases surge by 500% across Africa compared to the previous year. New data released Thursday by Africa’s main disease control center, the Africa CDC, highlights the ongoing escalation.
“The situation is not yet under control; we are still on the upward trend generally,” stated Ngashi Ngongo of Africa CDC during a press briefing.
In its statement, Africa CDC noted, “Mauritius has become the 19th country affected by the current #Mpox outbreak, while #Nigeria postpones its planned vaccination campaign.
Vaccination rates in #DRC and #Rwanda have reached at least 100%, but access to child-friendly vaccines remains a pressing challenge. Since January 2024, confirmed Mpox cases have surged by 500% compared to 2023.”
The statement did not clarify the reasons behind Nigeria’s decision to defer its vaccination plans.
The outbreak’s scale prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare Mpox a global health emergency in mid-August, following the detection of a new variant originating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and spreading to neighboring countries.
As of now, Mpox has impacted 19 African countries, with over 48,000 suspected cases and 1,048 deaths reported this year, predominantly in Central Africa, which accounts for approximately 86% of all cases and 99.5% of deaths.
Ngongo emphasized the urgent need for sustained support: “We need to continue mobilising political engagement and financial support critical to get the current outbreak under control. We do not want this Mpox, especially the clade 1b, to become another sexually transmitted pandemic, which would be much more severe than COVID-19.”
The Mpox virus spreads primarily through close contact, including during sexual activity. Scientists have recently identified its new clade Ib strain in several European nations, such as Sweden, Germany, and the UK.
