Africa: 11 African Countries Record 1,153 Mpox Cases in Six Weeks

What the report says

The World Health Organisation said 11 African countries recorded active mpox transmission over a six-week period from 6 July to 16 August 2026, with 1,153 confirmed cases and seven deaths. The report, published on 14 September and carried by Premium Times through AllAfrica, shows that the outbreak remains concentrated in several countries, led by Madagascar, Angola and Kenya.

Madagascar accounted for 785 of the reported cases, the highest total in the period, followed by Angola with 184, Kenya with 94, the Democratic Republic of the Congo with 41 and Cameroon with 28. WHO said weekly confirmed cases on the continent had been relatively stable at about 200 per week recently, but it warned the numbers may be lower than the real situation because of reporting delays and weaker surveillance.

The figures come within a broader multi-country outbreak that WHO says has affected 35 African countries since January 2025. In that wider period, the agency reported more than 52,000 confirmed cases and 238 deaths in Africa through 16 August 2026. WHO also said Madagascar remains a major concern and described its outbreak as the largest in the African Region since December 2025.

Separately, Africa CDC had ended its continental mpox emergency status in January 2026, saying response efforts were shifting toward longer-term control, but it noted that vaccination would still be important. WHO has since kept mpox under a graded health emergency and extended its standing recommendations until August 2027.