The government has reassured the public that there are no new Mpox cases in the country, following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of Mpox as a global public health emergency.
The African Center for Disease Control (Africa CDC) also declared Mpox a public health emergency of continental concern, a day after WHO’s global announcement.
“The Emergency Committee’s advice to me, and that of the Africa CDC, which declared a public health emergency of regional security yesterday, are aligned,” said WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Mpox cases have been spreading in several African countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
WHO’s chief expressed concern about the potential for further spread within Africa, emphasizing the need for a coordinated international response to stop the outbreaks and save lives.
This year, over 14,000 Mpox cases have been reported globally, resulting in 524 deaths—a significant increase compared to 2023.
Tedros highlighted that a more deadly and easily transmissible clade of the virus, known as clade 1b, has been circulating in the DRC since last year, primarily spreading through sexual networks.
Tedros noted that around 90 cases of the clade 1b variant were reported in countries neighboring the DRC in the past month, including in regions that had not previously reported Mpox cases.
WHO is collaborating with affected countries, Africa CDC, and other partners to understand and address the factors driving these outbreaks.
“These declarations by the continental and global health bodies underscore the public health threat posed by the Mpox outbreak and the urgent need for a coordinated international response to control the disease,” said Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary, Debora Barasa, on Friday.
Kenya has reported only one Mpox case, with the patient fully recovered.
Health officials screened 12 contacts of the initial case and investigated six suspected cases, all of which tested negative.
“No new confirmed Mpox cases have been reported in the country since the first case,” CS Barasa confirmed.
The Ministry of Health has intensified surveillance efforts nationwide to detect any suspected cases.
Public Health Emergency Operation Centers have been activated, and Incident Management Teams have been established across the country.
Public awareness campaigns are also being prioritized as a key prevention strategy.
The public is urged to frequently wash their hands with soap and water or use sanitizer and avoid contact with individuals showing symptoms of Mpox. Symptoms include skin rash, sore throat, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph glands. Anyone who has been in contact with symptomatic individuals in the past 21 days is advised to report to a health facility.
Currently, two WHO-recommended vaccines are being used to combat the Mpox outbreak.
WHO boss has also invited vaccine manufacturers to express interest in accelerating vaccine access for lower-income countries through an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) process.
This initiative aims to facilitate equitable access to diagnostics, vaccines, and other essential tools for managing the outbreak.
“We are working with all partners to ensure equitable access to diagnostics, vaccines, clinical care supplies, and other necessary resources,” Tedros added.
