Daniel Otera
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has reported a 58 percent drop in mpox cases across the continent between epidemiological week 19 and week 30 of 2025. But the agency has raised fresh concern over new outbreaks in Gambia, Cameroon, and Mozambique, alongside a worsening cholera crisis now affecting 23 African Union (AU) member states.
Speaking during a weekly briefing on Friday, Africa CDC Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya said the decline in mpox was due to stronger national leadership, targeted vaccination campaigns, and improved surveillance.
“We’ve seen remarkable progress from collective action, but the emergence of new outbreaks and dangerous variants reminds us that we cannot let our guard down,” Kaseya said.
Africa CDC data shows that over 3.1 million mpox vaccine doses have been distributed across 12 countries, with 886,000 individuals vaccinated as of August 2025. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which remains the continent’s epicentre of infections, accounts for 69 percent of those vaccinated.
However, the agency has confirmed the detection of multiple mpox clades, including the high-risk Clade IIb, in Kinshasa. Health experts warn that its increased transmissibility could complicate containment efforts across Central Africa if not addressed swiftly.
“This development calls for intensified surveillance and focused vaccination, especially in vulnerable and high-risk communities,” Dr Kaseya added.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that spreads through close physical contact and contaminated materials. Though preventable through hygiene and early vaccination, recent outbreaks have exposed gaps in emergency preparedness, particularly in under-resourced areas.
Since declaring mpox a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security in 2024, Africa CDC has rolled out a coordinated response strategy that includes real-time digital surveillance, expanded laboratory testing, and the integration of mpox protocols into national health systems. Working with the World Health Organization (WHO) and global partners, the agency has also standardised outbreak monitoring tools to track trends and resource needs more effectively.
But the Africa CDC has warned that this progress is fragile. Without sustained funding, political commitment, and wider vaccine access, the continent risks another resurgence.
Alongside mpox, Africa is facing a growing cholera emergency. As of May 2025, over 130,000 cases were recorded across the continent, accounting for 60 percent of global infections and nearly 94 percent of cholera-related deaths. The hardest hit countries include the DRC, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Zambia.
Recent confirmed cases in Chad and the Republic of Congo have pushed the total number of affected AU countries to 23. Although Africa CDC reports a gradual decline in new infections and deaths, the situation remains precarious due to systemic failures in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure.
“Poor WASH infrastructure is the primary driver of cholera across the continent,” Dr Kaseya said. “We need coordinated, multisectoral action to tackle this crisis at the root.”
To respond, Africa CDC and partners including WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi have activated a continent-wide Incident Management Support Team (IMST). The approach mirrors its mpox response framework, with a focus on harmonising emergency operations, mapping hotspots, and speeding up resource mobilisation.
The initiative gained new momentum in June 2025 when Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema, serving as the AU’s Cholera Champion, convened a high-level summit involving ten African countries. The summit ended with a unified Call to Action to eliminate cholera by 2030, with pledges to increase access to oral vaccines, improve cross-border coordination, and scale up investment in WASH systems.
Africa CDC has since expanded its mapping of cholera hotspots in Uganda, Ghana, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and South Sudan to support better-targeted interventions.
While the reported mpox and cholera numbers show signs of stabilising, health experts warn of new risks. A more transmissible mpox variant, Clade 1b, has been confirmed in Malawi, Tanzania, and South Sudan countries previously considered low-risk.
WHO data shows a 43 percent continent-wide decline in mpox cases in the first half of 2025, with 28,152 confirmed infections and 133 deaths across 24 African countries. But comparisons with 2024 figures of 15,600 confirmed cases and 537 deaths in the DRC alone suggest that gains remain uneven and easily reversible.
The real threat, Africa CDC says, lies in fatigue and underfunding. As public attention shifts, emergency response efforts risk being deprioritised, leaving weak health systems exposed to further outbreaks.
“Community-led surveillance and sustained investment are critical,” Dr Kaseya warned. “We must not only respond to crises but also prevent them by addressing the structural issues that keep returning us to this point.”
With back-to-back emergencies stretching national budgets, the call is now shifting from rapid response to long-term resilience.