"In a significant step to strengthen and accelerate the response to the ongoing mpox outbreak, the Africa CDC and WHO launched this Friday a continental response plan in Africa, to support countries' efforts to contain the spread of the virus, and to protect and save lives."

This is what was announced this Friday at a press conference in Kinshasa.

The estimated cost for this plan, with a six-month horizon, until February 2025, is close to 600 million dollars [541 million euros], with 55% allocated to the MPOX response in 14 affected countries, and preparedness in another 15 Member States.

The rest 45% will be allocated to operational and technical support through other partners, announced the entities in question.

Fourteen member countries of the African Union (AU) have notified 24.851 cases of smallpox and 643 deaths since the beginning of 2024, which represents 5.466 new cases and 26 new deaths in the last week, 25 of which were in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The data was presented by Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya at a joint press conference with the WHO and the European Union's (EU) Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA).

The vast majority of the 24.851 cases (22.091) are concentrated in Central Africa, with the DRC registers 20.463 cases this year, 2.662 in the last week. The same is true of deaths, as of the 643 deaths recorded so far, 639 occurred in Central Africa, 635 of which were in the DRC.

This expansion of the Mpox virus represents a 104% increase in 2024compared to the same period in 2023, with a particularly significant upward trend since last May.

Monkeypox (Mpox) is a viral disease that spreads from animals to humans, but can also be transmitted between humans through physical contact, causing fever, muscle pain and skin lesions.

This is the second time in two years that the infectious disease has been considered a potential threat to international health, with the first alert being raised in May after the spread was contained and the situation was considered under control.

However, the worsening situation led health authorities to declare a state of emergency in mid-August, given the growing contagion among African countries and the emergence of several cases across the world.