Addis Ababa: The number of mpox cases reported in Africa since the start of 2024 has exceeded 190,000, with deaths nearing 2,000, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.

Speaking at an online media briefing, Yap Boum II, Deputy Incident Manager for mpox at the Africa CDC, said 29 mpox-affected African countries have reported 191,559 cases since January 2024, including 53,013 confirmed cases and 1,999 deaths, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Boum noted that response efforts are showing results, with both confirmed and suspected cases declining steadily in recent weeks compared to the peak around May. Weekly confirmed cases have dropped by 70 per cent, from 1,620 in May to 491 last week, alongside improvements in testing coverage, the Africa CDC said.

Earlier this month, the World health Organisation (WHO) said that the spread of mpox in Africa no longer represents a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

However, the WHO also said that lifting the emergency declaration does not mean the threat is over, "nor that our response will stop, and we note the Africa CDC's decision that mpox remains a continental emergency."

The possibility of continued flare-ups and new outbreaks remains, requiring adequate surveillance and response capacity.

Ongoing efforts are needed to protect the most vulnerable groups, particularly young children and people living with HIV.

Mpox is a viral zoonotic disease.

Initial symptoms of human infection include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, and swollen lymph nodes, which can later develop into widespread rashes on the face and body.

Most infected individuals recover within a few weeks, but some may experience severe illness or even death.

Since May 2022, more than 100 countries and regions worldwide have reported cases of mpox.

Meanwhile, the agency urged stronger community-based surveillance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to help contain the latest Ebola outbreak in the country.

On Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said at least 31 people have died in the latest Ebola outbreak in the DRC. Patrick Otim, an official from the WHO Regional Office for Africa, told an online press briefing that 48 cases have been reported in the central province of Kasai, including 38 confirmed. Thirty-one patients have died, while 15 remain under treatment at an Ebola center in the Bulape health zone, the epicenter of the outbreak, and two have been discharged.

Boum emphasised the need to identify all suspected cases and effectively transfer them to treatment centers for isolation and appropriate care. He said the recent recovery of two Ebola patients was "very positive and encouraging news for the response."

Ebola is a highly contagious hemorrhagic fever that causes a range of symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, generalized pain, and malaise, and in many cases, internal and external bleeding, according to the WHO.

(IANS)