Mpox: Nigeria, DRC, Burundi most affected in ongoing outbreak

The data from 1 January to 29 September shows that Nigeria comes third with 78 confirmed cases with no death.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Burundi as the most affected countries in Africa’s ongoing Mpox outbreak.

According to WHO’s latest multi-country external situation report, the DRC leads with 30,766 suspected cases, 5,610 confirmed cases and 25 deaths, followed by Burundi with 2,188 suspected cases, 853 confirmed cases and no reported death.

The data from 1 January to 29 September shows that Nigeria comes third with 78 confirmed cases with no death.

Meanwhile, for the same period, data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) shows that the country has recorded 1,237 suspected and 84 confirmed cases across 57 local government areas (LGAs) in 25 states and the FCT.

Focus on DRC

The WHO’s latest report provides a detailed subnational focus on the DRC’s province of North Kivu, where 34 per cent of the reported confirmed cases are individuals living in camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), and approximately 75 per cent of Mpox cases are among children below 17 years old.

Currently, WHO noted that available case investigation and sequencing data suggest that Mpox transmission in this province is exclusively human-to-human.

It added that sexual contact is a significant mode of transmission, accounting for 34 per cent of cases, among which 52 per cent involve sex workers.

To combat the outbreak, WHO has approved the Alinity m MPXV diagnostic test for emergency use, adding that 265,000 doses of MVA-BN vaccines have been dispatched to strategic hubs in the DRC.

Situation in Nigeria

The age and sex distribution in the latest NCDC situation report shows that children below five years old are most affected by the disease, followed by age groups 26 to 30, 41 to 45 and 46 to 50.

NCDC established that 68 per cent of cases in 2024 were reported in males.

Ogun, Lagos and Bayelsa states top the list with the highest suspected cases of Mpox, while Plateau, Enugu and Akwa Ibom states top the charts for confirmed cases.

WHO tagged the outbreak as moderate in Nigeria and other countries of West, Central and East Africa where Mpox is endemic.