Africa CDC roots for early Mpox detection, integrated response

KAMPALA - Africa Center for Disease Control (CDC) officials have called for the need for early Mpox detection while embracing an integrated approach to make the response more effective.

According to Dr. Jean Kaseya, the director general of Africa Center for Disease Control (CDC), people who are succumbing to Mpox disease have underlying comorbidities.
Citing a case in Uganda, Dr. Kaseya said more than 55% of people who are dying are HIV positive. 

As of April 1, 2025, the Mpox death toll for Uganda has risen to 37 out of 167 confirmed deaths in Africa.  

“This is why we decided to change our approach. We need to intensify not only mpox but to consider all comorbidities, including undernutrition, plus other outbreaks such as measles, cholera, among others,” he said and added that countries are using Mpox as the entry point to tackle all other outbreaks.

He was speaking during Africa CDC press weekly briefing on health emergencies across the continent and the pre-response that Africa CDC has across the Member States on Thursday, April 17, 2025.

The deputy incident commander, Ministry of Health Dr. Bernard, agreed, noting that Uganda is already integrating Mpox care into routine health care.

“Every health facility is supposed to admit and manage severe Mpox cases while the moderate and mild are managed at home,” Dr. Lubwana noted.

Situation in DRC

The lead for Epidemic Intelligence Unit at Africa CDC, Mercy Kyeng, noted that health facilities in DRC are recording co-infections, where children suspected to have Mpox are hospitalised alongside those with measles, consequently, contracting both diseases.

“We are seeing co-infection of measles and mpox amongst some of the hospitalized children,” Kyeng noted.

As they intensify the mpox response, they are taking the integrated approach right from surveillance to laboratory diagnostics to treatment.

“We are actually ensuring that we integrate all these different interventions,” she said.

The burden

As of Epi week 14, Uganda has recorded a total of 4,913 confirmed mpox cases, accounting for 51% of all mpox cases from Africa, with an average of 280 cases reported weekly, according to the Mpox situation in Africa Epi week 14 report. 

The same report reveals that between 2024 and 2025, a total of 119,856 suspected mpox cases, 27,473 confirmed mpox cases, and 167 confirmed deaths have been reported in Africa.

Understanding Mpox

Mpox (previously known as monkeypox) is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus. 

It spreads mainly through close contact with someone who has the disease, causing a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. It can make people very sick and leave scars.

The virus is found in wild animals such as squirrels, rats, mice, and monkeys. It can spread to people and takes five to 21 days for the infected person to develop signs and symptoms, also termed as incubation period.

Mpox spreads through contact with an infected person, through touch, kissing, or sexual intercourse.

You can contract the disease by sharing contaminated sheets, clothes, bedding and sharp instruments, for example, needles. Infected pregnant women can pass the virus on to their unborn baby, notes the deputy incident commander at the Ministry of Health Dr. Bernard Lubwama.

Background

On August 14, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern. This was the second time in two years that reclassified Mpox to this highest level of response.

The global alert was preceded by a declaration by the African CDC on August 13, 2024, recognising Mpox as a public health emergency of continental security. 

These declarations underline the seriousness of the situation and the need for concerted efforts to curb the spread of the disease.