According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Africa (CDC Africa), 6 883 cases of monkeypox have been reported in some 13 African countries.
CDC Africa said that 173 deaths had been reported in 2022, with a case fatality rate of 2.5 percent. Of the total number of monkeypox cases reported, 5 992 are suspects and 891 are confirmed cases.
Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria are the eight endemic countries having reported cases.
While Egypt, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa and Sudan are the five non-endemic countries, the health agency said.
With the disease declared a global public health emergency by WHO, CDC Africa has called on African countries to strengthen laboratory diagnostic capabilities and genomic sequencing capacity for monkeypox.
The health agency also asked African states to develop and distribute risk communication messages, both general and tailored to vulnerable communities and population groups.