KIGALI, Rwanda

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) ended the continental emergency status for mpox Thursday, more than a year after its declaration.

The move followed the recommendation of the Africa CDC Emergency Consultative Group, which advises the director general of the health body on mpox.

“I hereby announce the lifting of mpox as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security. This decision reflects Africa’s growing capacity to lead complex public health responses, grounded in strong political leadership, regional solidarity, and effective international partnerships,” Jean Kaseya, the director general of Africa CDC, said in a statement.

Africa CDC announced the declaration of the mpox emergency status in August 2024 after a surge in cases across the continent.

At least 80,276 suspected cases and 1,340 deaths were reported in 2024, representing more than a five-fold increase in cases and a two-fold increase in deaths compared with the same period in 2023.

The declaration helped to mobilize collective efforts and funding to contain the outbreak.

As such, partners mobilized over $1 billion in financing, strengthened community-anchored surveillance, expanded laboratory and genomic sequencing capacity and deployed over 5 million mpox vaccine doses across 16 countries.

To Africa CDC, the efforts delivered a measurable impact, whereby between peak transmission periods in early 2025 and late 2025, suspected cases declined by 40% and confirmed cases by 60%.

The case fatality rate among suspected cases fell from 2.6% to 0.6%, reflecting improved detection, care, coordination and accountability across all levels of response.

The Democratic Republic of Congo was the most affected, accounting for 96% of reported cases and 97% of deaths.

Kaseya said the lifting of the emergency status does not mark the end of mpox in Africa, however.

“Rather, it signals a transition from an emergency response to a sustained, country-led pathway toward elimination. Mpox remains endemic in several settings, and continued vigilance, targeted investment and innovation will be essential to consolidate gains and prevent a resurgence,” he said.