11 African countries record 1,153 mpox cases in six weeks

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that 11 African countries recorded active transmission of mpox in the six weeks between 6 July and 16 August 2026, with 1,153 confirmed cases and seven deaths.

The organisation disclosed this in its Mpox: Multi-country External Situation Report published on 14 September.

According to the report, Madagascar recorded 785 cases, the highest during the period, followed by Angola with 184, Kenya with 94, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with 41, and Cameroon with 28.

WHO noted that “reported weekly confirmed cases have remained somewhat stable on the continent, with about 200 cases per week in recent weeks.”

However, it cautioned that the figures could be underestimated due to reporting delays and reduced surveillance.

Mpox cases since 2025

The latest figures form part of the multi-country mpox outbreak, which has affected 35 African countries since January 2025.

According to the WHO report, the countries reported 52,424 confirmed mpox cases and 238 deaths between 1 January 2025 and 16 August 2026.

Globally, 65,784 confirmed cases and 264 deaths were reported in 105 countries between 1 January 2025 and 31 July 2026.

The WHO said 32 countries reported 1,370 confirmed cases and seven deaths in July alone, with the African Region accounting for 74.8 per cent of the cases.

New spread

WHO also reported new developments in the virus’s spread. Chile and Hungary reported mpox caused by clade Ib for the first time. In contrast, community transmission of the clade was reported in Czechia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Spain had the highest cumulative number of clade Ib cases in the group, with 241, followed by France with 173, Portugal with 162, and Germany with 140.

Madagascar remains a major concern, with WHO describing its outbreak as the largest mpox outbreak globally and in the African Region since December 2025.

As of 16 August, Madagascar had recorded 3,436 confirmed cases and 22 deaths.

Emergency status

The latest development comes months after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared an end to mpox as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) in January 2026.

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Africa CDC said at the time that the emergency declaration was being lifted as the continent moved from an emergency response towards longer-term control and elimination of the disease.

The agency reported that suspected mpox cases had fallen by 40 per cent and confirmed cases by 60 per cent between early and late 2025, while the suspected case fatality ratio fell from 2.6 per cent to 0.6 per cent.

However, it stressed that mpox remained endemic in some settings and that vaccination would remain central to the response.

The WHO now considers the ongoing multi-country outbreak a graded health emergency and has extended its standing recommendations on mpox until August 2027.