Addis Ababa, August 14, 2024 (FBC) – Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health today announced that there are no Mpox cases in the country so far, but declared Mpox a national public health emergency.
The Ministry’s statement surfaced in light of the recent announcement made by the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Tuesday. Africa CDC has officially declared the ongoing Mpox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS), marking the first such declaration by the agency since its inception in 2017.
In response to this development, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health has declared Mpox a national public health emergency. Furthermore, it has been emphasized that a collaborative effort by all African countries is imperative in preventing the disease’s dissemination.
Notably, Ethiopia has not reported any Mpox infections to date, according to the Ministry of Health.
In Ethiopia, the Ministry of Health has disclosed that control and inspection operations are currently underway at Moyale and other entry points, such as the Bole International Airport.
In a joint effort, the Ministry and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute are closely monitoring the situation alongside relevant authorities.
In that regard, as of the latest updates, no cases of Mpox have been reported in Ethiopia, the Ministry confirmed.
At least 13 African countries, including previously unaffected nations like Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, have reported Mpox outbreaks, according to Africa CDC’s latest statement. So far in 2024, these countries have confirmed 2,863 cases and 517 deaths, primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Suspected cases across the continent have surged past 17,000, a significant increase from 7,146 cases in 2022 and 14,957 cases in 2023. This is just the tip of the iceberg when we consider the many weaknesses in surveillance, laboratory testing and contact tracing.
Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, with two distinct clades: Clade I and Clade II. Common symptoms include a skin rash or mucosal lesions lasting 2–4 weeks, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. The virus can be transmitted to humans through physical contact with an infectious person, contaminated materials, or infected animals.