Situational context
Mpox is a zoonotic viral disease transmitted from animal to human, with symptoms lasting between 14 and 21 days. Severe cases occur more commonly among children and those with pre-existing health conditions. However, the case fatality rate varies widely between epidemics but has been less than 10% in documented events, mostly among young children.1
On August 13 and 14, 2024, respectively, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa
CDC)2 and the World Health Organization3 declared the Mpox outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security and a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) due to increase in the number of cases reported across the African continent and parts of Europe.
Since 1 January 2022, cases of mpox have been reported to WHO from 17 Member States across the African Region. As of 30 August 2024, a total of 8,109 laboratory-confirmed cases, including 57 deaths, have been reported to WHO. In 2024, as of 1 September 2024, 14 countries have reported 5,732 confirmed cases, including 35 deaths. The three countries with the majority of cases in 2024 are the Democratic Republic of the Congo (n = 5 147), Burundi (n = 328), and the Central African Republic (n = 55)4.
Mpox is one of the immediately reportable priority diseases in Liberia. Since 2016, sporadic cases have been reported across the country. From January 2022 to September 12, 2024, a total of 345 suspected cases, including 38 laboratory-confirmed cases, have been reported, with no death recorded.
