South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed deep concern over the rapid spread of Mpox in Africa, calling for international support for the continent in its response to the ongoing outbreak.

In his capacity as the African Union Champion on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response, Mr. Ramaphosa issued a statement today on the current situation of the Mpox outbreak on the African continent. He noted that since 2024, a total of 17,541 cases and 517 deaths due to Mpox have been reported across 13 AU member states.

He urged the international community, partners, and organisations to mobilise stockpiles of vaccines and other medical countermeasures for deployment in Africa. He further called on the international community to urgently finalise a fair and equitable pandemic agreement to accelerate Africa’s response and ensure that all nations, regardless of economic status, have fair access to the resources.

Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus that is spread through close contact, with symptoms including fever, swelling of the lymph nodes, sore throat, muscle aches, skin rash, and back pain.