Mozambique: Mpox With 2 More Cases In Maputo
Two more cases of Mpox were recorded in Mozambique in the last 24 hours. The cases were confirmed in Matola, Maputo province. Twenty-four new suspected cases were also recorded in the same period between the city and Maputo province, as well as in the provinces of Niassa, Tete, Zambézia, and Manica. Health authorities are monitoring 24 cases.
MPOX has generated significant concern in Mozambique, as according to data from the National Directorate of Public Health, between July 11 and August 06, 2025, 33 positive cases and 222 suspected cases were identified, but no deaths have been recorded to date. The epicenter of the outbreak is Niassa province, in the north of the country.
Mpox is a zoonotic viral disease, first identified in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and recently gaining momentum, particularly in southern Africa. It is transmitted directly from person to person and presents symptoms ranging from fevers and skin lesions to muscle pain and general malaise.
Mpox in Mozambique
According to the latest official data, Niassa province accounts for the majority of positive cases—a total of 28—while Manica has recorded two cases and Maputo province has three. In the last 24 hours, two new cases were confirmed in the city of Matola, Maputo province, bringing the total number of positive cases to 33.
Additionally, 24 new suspected cases were recorded in different parts of the country, particularly in the provinces of Tete, Zambézia, and Manica. Eighty-nine cases are currently under surveillance, in a process coordinated by health authorities.
The Mozambican government assures that the country is technically prepared to face the Mpox outbreak. According to the coordinator of the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (COESP), the country has the capacity to conduct 4.000 tests locally, distributed across public health laboratories in all provincial capitals.
More than 160 tests have already been used during the current outbreak, and there are 2022 reagents reserved for analyzing virus strains. This development represents a qualitative leap compared to XNUMX, the year in which the first case was detected in the country, without significant spread..
Prevention and Control
Given the spread of the disease, the Governor of Manica Province, Francisca Tomás, urged the population to adopt prudent behaviors, similar to those adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the recommendations are: avoiding handshakes, maintaining personal and collective hygiene, frequent handwashing, and isolating confirmed patients.
The use of masks is also recommended when interacting with infected individuals. Authorities reiterate the need for prevention rather than cure, emphasizing that basic hygiene measures remain the first line of defense against the spread of Mpox.
Despite the increase in cases, Mozambique's National Director of Public Health, Quinhas Fernandes, called for calm and trust in health authorities. At a press conference, the leader emphasized the importance of avoiding panic and, above all, of not stigmatizing those infected.
“It is important not to discriminate against patients who have Mpox”.
Quinhas Fernandes stated, emphasizing that responsible communication and empathy are fundamental to the success of the health response. According to Quinhas Fernandes, the number of suspected cases is likely to increase, but this should be seen as a direct consequence of the country's strengthened epidemiological surveillance and expanded testing capacity.
Therefore, it is natural that more cases are detected, which represents, paradoxically, a positive sign of the effectiveness of the control mechanisms implemented.
The Government's Response
To prevent a potential large-scale spread, the Mozambican government announced that it will receive a batch of Mpox vaccines in September. These will be used for prevention, counseling, and rapid response to localized outbreaks.
The arrival of vaccines represents an important step in consolidating the national strategy to combat the disease, complementing actions already underway, such as community screening, border surveillance, and increased laboratory testing.
Screening teams have been deployed to the country's main border crossings in an attempt to identify suspected cases early and prevent their entry or internal spread. This surveillance is crucial to containing the virus, especially given the cross-border mobility that characterizes the Niassa and Manica regions.
Although Mpox has not yet recorded any fatalities in Mozambique, its implications go beyond individual health. It can negatively affect the local economy, education systems (if prolonged isolation of students is necessary), and increase the burden on an already fragile national health system.
Families with infected members face additional challenges, from stigmatization to loss of income due to absence from work. Therefore, it is essential that the fight against the disease is not limited to the medical field, but involves an intersectoral approach, integrating civil society, the private sector, and international partners.
Conclusion
The evolution of Mpox in Mozambique requires constant vigilance, rapid response capacity, and, above all, social cohesion. Strengthening laboratory capacity, increasing community surveillance, the arrival of vaccines, and a commitment to clear and humane communication are positive milestones in a coordinated response.
Success will depend on the active participation of the population, the non-stigmatization of patients, and the maintenance of good hygiene practices and isolation when necessary. Mozambique, like many other African countries, finds itself at a health crossroads: either it acts firmly and rationally, or it risks seeing MPOX transform into a more complex and prolonged crisis.
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Picture: © 2024 Moise Kasereka
