State of emergency lifted in Africa by MPox

The agency had declared the highest alert phase in 2024. Then there were more than 80,000 infections and 1,340 deaths, “or five times as many cases and twice as many deaths compared to the same period in 2023,” according to CDC. More than five million vaccines have been administered in 16 countries, according to the agency.

According to figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), 78 percent of MPox cases are diagnosed in Africa. Between January 2025 and January 2026, some 44,500 cases and 198 deaths were reported in 29 countries on the Black Continent. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea and Madagascar were the hardest hit.

Mpox, previously called monkeypox, is a viral disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans, but is also spread through close physical contact. The disease causes fever, muscle pain and rash. Infections are usually mild, but they can also be fatal, especially in young children and people with a weakened immune system.

In September last year, the WHO had already announced that the international state of emergency could be lifted by mpox.