KEY POINTS
- Marburg cases decline in Rwanda following successful vaccination campaigns.
- Mpox virus continues to spread, now affecting 18 African countries.
- Africa CDC calls for urgent action to accelerate the fight against mpox.
Health officials have reported a significant reduction in Marburg virus cases in Rwanda, following vaccination campaigns targeting vulnerable populations, including healthcare workers.
However, concerns are growing over the spread of mpox, which is now affecting 18 countries across Africa, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Marburg outbreak shows signs of easing
Rwanda’s health minister, Sabin Nsanzimana, announced that new Marburg infections have dropped by over 50 percent compared to the first two weeks of the outbreak.
The country has also experienced consecutive days without new cases or deaths. Nsanzimana noted that most patients are recovering in treatment centers, signaling a positive trend in managing the outbreak.
“Overall, the trend is very encouraging, both in terms of new infections declining significantly and reduced mortality,” Nsanzimana said during an online briefing. He reported that Rwanda had recorded 62 confirmed cases and 15 deaths, with 38 patients recovering and nine still receiving treatment.
According to Reuters, the reduction in Marburg cases is largely attributed to the government’s swift response and vaccination efforts, which began in early October. These efforts have primarily focused on protecting healthcare workers and other high-risk groups in affected regions.
Mpox continues to spread across Africa
While Rwanda’s Marburg outbreak is under control, the mpox virus continues to spread across Africa. Jean Kaseya, the director general of Africa CDC, highlighted that the number of affected countries has increased from six in April to 18 in October. This rapid expansion of the virus has raised alarm among health officials.
“We don’t want to see all African countries being affected. This is why we need to intensify our efforts,” Kaseya said during the briefing. He added that more than 42,000 suspected mpox cases have been recorded across the continent this year, resulting in 1,100 deaths.
Kaseya expressed frustration with the slow delivery of financial aid and vaccines, despite pledges of over $800 million to support the fight against mpox. He called for immediate action to accelerate the response and save lives.
Call for urgent action
Kaseya stressed that the global community must act quickly to contain the mpox outbreak and prevent further spread.
“We need to see concrete action on the ground to stop this outbreak. We cannot continue like this—we need to save lives and secure the future of our continent,” he urged.
Health officials remain hopeful that ongoing efforts to combat both Marburg and mpox will yield positive results, but the need for timely financial and vaccine support is critical to halting the spread of the viruses.
