African Union declares monkeypox public health emergency

On August 13, the African Union's health watchdog declared a public health emergency due to the increasingly serious outbreak of monkeypox (Mpox) across the continent.

Mpox has now spread to many African countries, and the situation is particularly severe in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In an online press conference, Mr. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), emphasized that Mpox has crossed borders, affecting thousands of people across the continent.

According to the Africa CDC, from January 2022 to August 4, the continent had 38,465 cases of Mpox and 1,456 deaths.

Affected countries include Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Uganda and Kenya.

Mr. Kaseya said that it is necessary to be proactive and decisive in efforts to prevent the spread of the disease and eliminate the threat posed by this disease.

Monkeypox is an infectious disease first identified in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It has been present for many years in several countries in West and Central Africa, as the virus is transmitted from infected animals to humans. The disease has a variety of signs and symptoms.

In some people, the disease causes only mild symptoms, but in others, the symptoms are more severe and require medical care.

People at high risk of severe illness or complications include pregnant women, children, and people with weakened immune systems.

Typical symptoms of monkeypox include fever, throbbing headache, muscle aches, back pain, weakness, and increased lymph nodes.

According to plan, a committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) will meet on August 14 to decide whether or not to declare a health emergency for this epidemic.