The number of monkeypox cases and deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to rise rapidly.

On August 19, the Minister of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo said that so far there have been 16,700 cases of monkeypox (mpox) with more than 570 deaths reported.

Last week, the figures were 15,664 suspected cases and 548 deaths since the beginning of the year in the Central African country.

According to the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the disease affects 17 African countries as well as several countries outside the continent, with the main target being young people, especially children under 15 years old.

In December 2022, the Democratic Republic of Congo declared a nationwide mpox outbreak and a disease management system was put in place since February 2023 due to the increasing number of reported cases.

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern, sounding the alarm about the disease's potential for increased global transmission, following the initial outbreak announcement on July 23, 2022.

The WHO statement comes after the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) deemed the ongoing mpox outbreak a public health emergency for the continent.

According to the African Union's health agency, the number of new mpox cases reported in 2024 increased by 160% compared to the same period in 2023.