UN warns of rising monkeypox cases in Africa

Some 367 cases of monkeypox (mpox), including three deaths, have so far been confirmed in five countries in East and Southern Africa, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on September 3 (Pretoria time), amid concerns that the number could rise further.

OCHA's report said that as of September 2, Burundi had recorded 328 cases, South Africa 24 cases, Uganda 7 cases while Rwanda and Kenya each had 4 cases.

"Several countries in the region have implemented response plans, including Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda, to control the disease. However, limited funding and resources have hampered efforts to prevent further spread," said the OCHA regional office for Southern and East Africa.

More than 3,800 cases have been confirmed across Africa since January, according to the UN agency, with Burundi the second-most affected country on the continent after the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the outbreak began.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of August 27, there have been 22,863 suspected cases, 5,281 confirmed cases and 622 deaths related to different strains of monkeypox virus in Africa.

Monkeypox typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled sores. It is usually mild, but can be fatal or lead to serious complications in some cases, especially in children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV.

On August 14, WHO declared monkeypox a global public health emergency (PHEIC), as the number of cases of variant 1b (more contagious and potentially more deadly) skyrocketed in the Democratic Republic of Congo and spread beyond its borders.

PHEIC is WHO's highest alert level for an epidemic.

Meanwhile, the African Union approved $10.4 million in August to support ongoing efforts to combat mpox outbreaks across the continent.

OCHA said governments and health partners, with support from WHO, will continue to scale up the response, including contact tracing, case management screening at border entry points, strengthening testing capacity, surveillance, case reporting and dissemination of information on prevention measures.