Africa top health body don declare Mpox, one highly infectious disease wey dey known as Monkey Pox, a public health emergency for Africa.
Scientists from di Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) say dem dey shocked by di speed wey one new strand of Mpox take dey spread.
Since di beginning of di year, dem don record more dan 13,700 cases and 450 deaths for di Democratic Republic of Congo.
Di virus, wey fit cause bruise for di whole body, don spread to oda African kontris wey include Burundi, di Central African Republic (CAR) Kenya and Rwanda.
Di virus, wey fit cause lesions for di whole body, don spread to oda African kontris wey include Burundi, di Central African Republic (CAR) Kenya and Rwanda.
Di declaration of a public health emergency go help governments co-ordinate dia response and possibly increase di flow of medical supplies and aid go affected areas.
Health chiefs outside Africa go also dey monitor di situation to assess di risk of di outbreak of spreading further.
Why Mpox dey spread fast across East and Central Africa?
According to Africa CDC, di number of cases don almost double di number dem get last year, and di number of deaths don go up by nearly a fifth.
Di African Union don approve $10.4 million from existing Covid funds to support di Africa CDC to fight di outbreak of Mpox across di continent.
Most of di cases and deaths dey for di Democratic Republic of Congo.
Dis year alone, dem don report ova 8000 cases and ova 300 deaths.
Dr Fiona Braka, World Health Organization Emergency Response Manager for Congo Brazzaville, say “dem don report cases of Mpox for 11 kontris for di region since di beginning of 2024.”
“We dey see di biggest outbreak for DRC wey account for 96% of all di cases we don see,” she tok.
Rwanda and Central African Republic bin recently report two cases of di highly contagious disease, few days afta, Burundi also announce confirmation of cases.
Most recently, neighbouring Kenya don also report one case dem detect for one pesin wey dey travel from Uganda go Rwanda through one border crossing for di south of di kontri.
Dis don raise concerns about di spread of one new deadly strain of di disease.
South Africa also don record cases of di virus, with three deaths, but preliminary tests show say e fit be di less dangerous strain na im cause di deaths.
Health experts say di virus dey change im behaviour, dem tok say now, e dey show up among new groups, like sex workers.
Di disease dey spread through physical and sexual contact and fit bypass diagnostic tests as some carriers no dey show symptoms.
Wetin be Mpox?
Mpox, wey pipo sabi before as monkey pox na viral disease wey resemble small pox wey dey less serious.
Di symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, and rash wey dey spread from di face go oda parts of di body.
Mpox dey transmitted through human contact and dem dey confam am through laboratory tests of skin lesions.
Di two major strains of Mpox virus (MPVX) na di MPVX Clade IIb and di MPXV Clade I.
