By Sola Ogundipe
Despite the recent launch of a continental response plan by the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Africa CDC, and the World Health Organization, WHO, Africa recorded 107 new deaths and 3,160 new mpox cases in just one week.
The Director-General of the Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya who described the rising toll as unacceptable, emphasized the need for enhanced cross-border surveillance.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Kayesa said, “In the one week, we lost 107 (people). It’s too much. It’s not acceptable. Africa cannot rely on only confirmed cases for decision-making and response.”
He stressed the need for stronger cross-border surveillance even as he noted that enough testing was not being done and called for increased testing and resources to support it.
In testing for mpox, men recorded 63 percent positivity rate while children under the age of 15 were at 41 percent.
Mpox can be transmitted from mother to child…
Source: Vanguard Newspaper
