Africa CDC Plans to Call Regional Mpox Outbreak an Emergency (2)

A fast-spreading mpox outbreak in Africa is likely to be declared a public health emergency of continental security next week as the region’s chief health advisory body moves to invoke this power for the first time.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention sees the move as helping it coordinate an international response and provide support to countries contending with the outbreak. Africa CDC was only given the mandate to declare such an emergency in 2023.

“We need to know that Africa took time to learn from Covid-19,” said Jean Kaseya, director general of Addis Ababa-based Africa CDC. ...