Africa Records Over 61,000 Mpox Cases as Treatment Trials Expand

Africa Records Over 61,000 Mpox Cases as Treatment Trials Expand
Clinical trials expand to find effective mpox treatment options
Africa CDC leads continent wide research and preparedness efforts

Africa has recorded more than 61,383 confirmed mpox cases and 296 deaths across 32 countries since early 2024, as efforts intensify to develop effective treatment options for the disease on the continent.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the update followed the announcement of a new collaboration agreement between Emergent BioSolutions and the Pandemic Preparedness Platform for Health and Emerging Infections Response.

According to the statement, the partnership will provide additional financial support for the Africa CDC led Mpox Study in Africa, also known as the MOSA initiative. The study, launched in 2024, is a double blind, platform adaptive clinical trial aimed at evaluating potential treatment options for patients diagnosed with mpox in multiple African countries.

Director General of Africa CDC, Dr Jean Kaseya, described the study as a major step toward strengthening Africa’s response to emerging and re emerging public health threats.

“This study represents a critical step in generating evidence to inform mpox treatment and strengthen Africa’s capacity to respond to emerging health threats,” Kaseya said.

He added that Africa CDC would continue working closely with partners to advance research, improve preparedness and enhance rapid outbreak response across the continent.

An independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board completed its first safety review of the MOSA trial in December 2025 after 50 patients were randomised. The board recommended the continuation of the study, with no safety concerns identified.

Commenting on the development, Emergent BioSolutions Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research and Development, Dr Simon Lowry, said the company was proud to support the progress of the trial.

“We applaud Africa CDC, the Democratic Republic of the Congo investigators and PANTHER for their efforts in reaching this important milestone,” Lowry said.

Africa CDC noted that the trial has so far focused largely on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one of the countries most affected by mpox outbreaks, with plans to expand to additional countries including Uganda.

Health experts said the study is particularly significant because there is currently no dedicated antiviral treatment for mpox, highlighting the importance of Africa led clinical research.