The ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control has reported that monkeypox continues to spread in the region, with 44 confirmed cases and one death recorded by the end of Epi Week 33, 2024.
Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Ghana are the hardest-hit countries in ECOWAS.
The report, released on August 16 and made available to journalists on Saturday, highlighted the growing concern.
Mpox, or monkeypox, is a zoonotic viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, part of the Orthopoxvirus genus. While it shares similarities with smallpox, it is generally less severe.
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The virus spreads from animals to humans through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, or lesions of infected animals. Human-to-human transmission occurs through respiratory droplets, contact with infected body fluids, or exposure to contaminated objects.
“As of August 15, 2024, the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control continues to monitor the Mpox situation in the ECOWAS region, as well as continental and global levels,” the report stated.
“As of Epi Week 33, a total of 44 confirmed cases and one death have been reported in the ECOWAS region since the beginning of the year: Nigeria (24), Côte d’Ivoire (11), Liberia (5), and Ghana (4),” it revealed.
The African continent, however, has continued to face significant challenges in controlling the spread of Mpox, with a marked increase in cases and fatalities since the beginning of 2024.
With 37,583 cases and 1,451 deaths reported this year, the continent is facing a massive public health emergency.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is bearing the brunt of this crisis, shockingly accounting for 96.3 percent of all cases and 97 percent of deaths continent-wide in 2024 alone.
The first half of 2024 saw an explosive rise in infections across Africa—14,250 Mpox cases and 456 deaths—representing a 160 percent increase in cases and a 19 percent jump in fatalities compared to the same period last year.
The DRC remains the epicenter of the outbreak, with a case fatality rate of 3.2 percent, underscoring the severity of the crisis.