Senegal’s Ministry of Health has confirmed a new case of Mpox in Dakar, reigniting concern across West Africa despite recent progress in curbing the virus. Officials said the patient, a foreign national who entered Senegal on August 19, was admitted to Fann Hospital two days later and tested positive for the virus. He remains in isolation in stable condition, with health teams tracing contacts and stepping up surveillance. The detection comes just weeks after a case was reported in neighboring Gambia, underscoring the persistence of Mpox more than a year after the World Health Organization declared it a global public health emergency.
Across Africa, governments backed by the WHO, Africa CDC, and health partners have expanded testing, strengthened monitoring, and rolled out targeted vaccinations since August 2024. The continent reported over 174,000 suspected cases and 50,000 confirmed infections last year, but new data shows weekly cases have dropped by 34.5% in the past six weeks. Encouragingly, several countries including Côte d’Ivoire, Angola, Gabon, Mauritius, and Zimbabwe have gone more than 42 days without recording new cases. Still, health experts warn that limited vaccine access, underfunded health systems, stigma, and instability in conflict affected regions could undermine efforts to fully contain the virus.
