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Since January 1, 2022, Mpox cases have been reported to WHO from 21 Member States within the WHO African Region. As of December 1, 2024, a total of 19,956 laboratory-confirmed cases, including 82 deaths, have been reported, resulting in a case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.4%.

The epidemiological comparison between the WHO AFRO Regional figures (Table 1a) and the DRC figures (Table 1b) highlights significant disparities in surveillance and testing performance for Mpox cases from Weeks 40 to 51. For the other 13 active countries, WHO AFRO reported a total of 8,916 suspected cases, with 8,916 tests conducted, achieving total testing coverage of 100% and a test positivity rate (TPR) of 38.5%. This high testing coverage facilitated timely case identification, leaving only 54 unresolved suspected cases in Week 47. In contrast, the DRC reported a substantially higher burden of 27,965 suspected cases but conducted only 7,435 tests, resulting in a low testing coverage of 26.6% and a TPR of 33.5%. Over 20,000 suspected cases in the DRC remain untested, indicating critical testing gaps and resource limitations. Weekly trends in WHO AFRO, excluding the DRC, demonstrated consistent testing coverage at 100%, except in Week 47 at 99.8%, with a gradual increase in positive cases and TPR peaking at 70.4% in Week 51, suggesting either rising transmission or improved targeting of high-risk cases. Conversely, DRC figures indicated declining testing coverage over time, decreasing from 49.9% in Week 41 to 7.3% in Week 49, despite sustained high numbers of suspected cases. The sharp decline in testing and the corresponding rise in positive cases to 82.8% in Week 49 suggest under-detection, increased transmission, and significant surveillance challenges. Overall, the WHO AFRO Regional figures reflect a robust and consistent response, while the DRC figures reveal critical gaps in testing capacity and surveillance, hindering effective control of the Mpox epidemic. Addressing these gaps through enhanced testing coverage, resource mobilization, and improved surveillance strategies is crucial for reducing the burden of Mpox in the DRC.

In the last six weeks from December 22, 2024, 14 countries collectively reported 2,889 laboratory-confirmed cases with six deaths (CFR=0.2), compared to 3,031 cases and eight deaths (CFR=0.3) in the previous six weeks.
Note: A significant number of suspected cases, that are clinically compatible with mpox are not tested due to limited diagnostic capacity and never get confirmed. For this reason, suspected cases (where no tests were done or with pending laboratory results) are also shown in this section. Care should be taken when interpreting these cases, as they are collected according to different case definitions. In some countries, suspected cases that are negative after laboratory tests are not removed from case counts. Not all countries have robust surveillance systems for mpox, so case counts are likely to be underestimated.