Alarm Bells Ring as Mpox Cases Surge in Uganda – Will This Outbreak Spiral Out of Control?

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is raising an alarm as mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) cases skyrocket in Uganda, amidst worrying trends across the continent. In a briefing today, Dr. Ngashi Ngongo, who heads the Africa CDC's mpox incident management team, shared that there were a staggering 2,345 new cases reported in Africa just last week, accompanied by 34 deaths. Alarmingly, this year alone has seen a whopping 48,093 cases—a surge of 500% compared to the entire year of 2023.

Despite being into the outbreak for several months, new developments, including an unprecedented case in Mauritius and the first reported death among Ugandan cases, mark a concerning expansion of the virus’s reach with 19 nations now impacted.

Uganda's Unique Battle Against Mpox

In Uganda, the situation has worsened over the last month, with 61 new cases reported in the last week alone. The majority of cases are associated with the clade 1b strain of the virus. Dr. Ngongo highlighted some striking demographics regarding the affected individuals; 63% of cases are in males, while only 12.5% involve children under 15. This deviating pattern poses unique challenges compared to the outbreak’s epicenter in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Much of Uganda's current outbreak is attributed to cross-border interactions and sexual transmission, especially within fishing communities where new clusters have emerged. This expanding virus footprint has now seen cases reported in three additional districts within Uganda over the past week.

The Africa CDC has also voiced concerns regarding rising cases in Liberia, although encouraging news comes from five countries—Cameroon, Gabon, Guinea, Rwanda, and South Africa—that have reported no new cases for over five weeks.

Vaccine Rollouts: A Glimmer of Hope

Vaccination efforts have begun in Rwanda and the DRC, with Rwanda achieving an impressive target of 100% vaccination coverage. The DRC is also ramping up its immunization campaign across six provinces, focusing on high-risk areas such as prisons and refugee camps, and has already surpassed its initial vaccination goals.

However, delays plague a vaccination campaign set to launch in Nigeria this week, hampered by logistical challenges. A pivotal next phase for the DRC's vaccination efforts is anticipated to kick off in early November, specifically targeting Kinshasa.

To date, nearly 900,000 doses of the Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos vaccine have been distributed across nine African nations, highlighting a concerted effort to mitigate the outbreak's spread amid these concerning trends.

Health officials and residents alike remain on high alert as the situation continues to evolve. Will the continent be able to curb this alarming outbreak in time, or are we on the brink of a broader crisis? Only time will tell.