Urgent Call for Improved Surveillance as Mpox Cases Surge Across Africa

As mpox cases surge across Africa, health experts are calling for urgent improvements to surveillance systems in a bid to better manage the viral outbreak. Professor Dimie Ogoina, a leading Nigerian expert on the disease, has raised alarms about the insufficiency of current data collection methods, emphasizing that the true extent of infections is likely far greater than reported. In an interview with the Financial Times, Ogoina, who chairs the World Health Organization's emergency committee on mpox, expressed his concerns that a lack of rapid diagnostic tests and effective surveillance has left health officials navigating the outbreak "blind." With over 17,000 confirmed or suspected cases reported this year, alongside more than 500 fatalities across 13 African Union member states, the pressing need for better data collection is undeniable. The situation is particularly dire in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has been identified as the epicenter of the current mpox outbreak. Ogoina described the circumstances as "unprecedented," noting the significant uptick in infections that began in 2022 and has since spread to multiple African countries, along with cases appearing in Europe and Asia. The World Health Organization declared a second public health emergency concerning mpox, signaling a growing urgency around this more infectious clade of the virus. Ogoina stresses the importance of context-specific research, arguing that health responses based on data from the global north may not adequately address the dynamics of disease transmission on the continent. He mentioned critical differences in how the virus presents in patients, highlighting the emergence of symptoms that diverge from classical presentations. The new variant appears to predominantly affect adults, especially those engaging in high-risk sexual behaviors, as opposed to the previous clade that mostly impacted children. In response to the outbreak, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has indicated that at least 10 million vaccine doses are required to help control the spread of mpox. EU health officials have also begun coordinating efforts to donate vaccines to Africa, with plans to deliver 215,000 doses from Danish manufacturer Bavarian Nordic in early September. However, Ogoina cautioned that the efficacy of these vaccines must be evaluated in the African context, noting the importance of conducting trials to establish their effectiveness and duration of protection. As the landscape of mpox evolves, Ogoina's call for enhanced surveillance systems and targeted research efforts is crucial. With the potential for the virus to become more severe, especially among individuals with compromised immune systems, the need for a robust public health response is more urgent than ever. Governments and health organizations must act swiftly to address the gaps in surveillance and data collection to safeguard public health in Africa and beyond.