Mpox, a viral disease that has resurfaced as a significant global health concern, continues to spread across Africa, with 18 countries currently reporting active transmission. As of June 2025, a total of 24,012 confirmed cases and 91 deaths have been recorded in 21 African nations. The case fatality rate (CFR) stands at 0.4%. Africa remains the epicenter of the global mpox outbreak, with the majority of cases concentrated on the continent.
Sierra Leone has emerged as the regional hotspot, reporting 4,294 confirmed cases and 28 deaths. Although new cases have reportedly declined in the country, experts warn that this may be due to reporting delays. The outbreak in Sierra Leone spans across all districts, with the highest concentration of cases in and around the capital, Freetown. The disease has affected both men and women equally, with the majority of cases occurring among individuals aged 20 to 39 years old.
In Kenya, the number of mpox cases continues to rise, with 137 confirmed cases spread across 17 counties. The majority of these cases have been reported in Busia (48 cases) and Mombasa (37), followed by Nakuru (16) and Makueni (10). Smaller clusters have also emerged in Nairobi, Kajiado, Bungoma, and other counties. Kenya’s first mpox case was reported in July 2024, and since then, health authorities have ramped up efforts in surveillance, contact tracing, and vaccination, especially in the counties most affected.
Globally, the situation remains fluid, with 6,823 confirmed cases and 16 deaths reported across 49 countries by May 2025. The emergence of new mpox variants, including clades Ib and IIb, has added complexity to the outbreak. Clade Ib is primarily circulating in Central and East Africa, while clade IIb has been detected in various regions, including non-endemic areas like the United States, Italy, China, and the United Kingdom. Many of these new cases are linked to international travel, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to strengthen border surveillance and diagnostic capacity worldwide.
The WHO has extended its declaration of mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This decision follows an emergency committee meeting in June 2025, which classified the risk associated with clade Ib as high and clade IIb as moderate. The WHO is now intensifying its efforts under a strategic preparedness and response plan, focusing on emergency coordination, surveillance, community protection, and ensuring access to vaccines and treatments. Vaccination campaigns are underway in several African countries, with over 731,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine administered to date, prioritizing high-risk populations.
