Monkeypox outbreak hits Kenya and Central African Republic

African health officials are racing to contain the spread of monkeypox as two new outbreaks have been confirmed in Kenya and the Central African Republic.

The declarations come as the region struggles with a lack of vaccines to combat the disease.

In Kenya, a new outbreak was announced on Wednesday after a case was detected in a passenger traveling from Uganda to Rwanda at a border post in southern Kenya.

The patient’s diagnosis has sparked concerns about the potential spread of the disease in the region.

Similarly, the Central African Republic declared a new outbreak on Monday, reporting that the disease was spreading to its capital, Bangui.

The country’s Minister of Public Health, Pierre Somsé, expressed concern about the cases ravaging Region 7 of the country.

Monkeypox, also known as mpox, is a viral disease that originates in wild animals and occasionally jumps to humans, who can then pass it on to other people.

The disease has been endemic in parts of central and west Africa for decades but gained global attention during an international outbreak in 2022 that saw it spread to over 100 countries.

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed sexual transmission of mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for the first time in November, raising concerns among African scientists about the potential difficulty in containing the disease.

While vaccines and treatments have been effective in containing outbreaks in Western countries, they are scarce in many African nations, where several countries have reported outbreaks in recent months.

The worst-hit country on the continent is the DRC, which has recorded over 12,000 cases and at least 470 deaths this year in its largest outbreak.

Other countries in the region have also reported cases, including South Africa, which last recorded a case in 2022, and Burundi, which has confirmed three cases.

The East African Community regional bloc has issued a statement alerting member states about the disease in the DRC, which borders five countries in the region.

Health officials are urging the public to support government efforts to slow the spread of the disease.

Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, the East African Community’s deputy secretary-general, called on partner states to “provide necessary information on the disease and take preventive measures.”

The outbreaks in Kenya and the Central African Republic highlight the need for increased vigilance and cooperation among African countries to combat the spread of monkeypox.

With the lack of vaccines and treatments in the region, containment efforts will rely heavily on public awareness and preventive measures.

In a related development, Congo recently approved a monkey pox vaccine.

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