The Malawi Government has engaged the World Health Organization and Africa Centre for Disease Control (Africa CDC) requesting Mpox vaccines to protect citizens from the disease.
On Aug 13, 2024, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared mpox a public health emergency of continental security (PHECS) in Africa, acting under its mandate to address significant public health threats.
Malawi has registered two suspected Mpox cases in Blantyre, a 31-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy who are being closely monitored.
Government through the Ministry of Health says efforts are being made to ensure that people are protected from the emergency international concern.
Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda visited the Queens Central Hospital in Blantyre to monitor the progress of the work on Antimicrobial Resistance at the Microbiology lab.
“We have already engaged WHO and Africa Center for Disease Control (Africa CDC) to ensure that Malawi receives the Mpox vaccine so that people are protected from the disease.
“These suspected cases are under control, and we are working with the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme to ensure we test the samples,” she said.
She also urged the public to practice good hygiene to prevent the spread of Mpox.
Meanwhile, QECH Director Dr Kelvin Monad said the facility expects results for the first suspected case, today and once the results are out, they will be shared with the ministry and they will be able to communicate with the general public.
MOH has assembled health experts to develop Malawi-specific guidelines for managing MPOX.
The decision to declare mpox a public health emergency of continental security (PHECS) in Africa was driven by the worsening mpox situation on the continent: since 2022, 40 874 cases and 1512 deaths have been reported across 15 AU member states.
In 2024 alone, 17 541 cases and 517 deaths have been reported from 13 AU member states.
These figures represent a 160% and 19% increase in the number of cases and deaths, respectively, in 2024 compared with the same period in 2023. A 79% increase in the number of cases was observed in 2023 compared with 2022.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) accounts for 96% of all cases and 97% of all deaths reported in 2024. Investigations in the DRC suggest that heterosexual transmission, especially among female sex workers (9%), is driving the outbreak.
“The high risk of severe infection among people living with HIV, considerations for asymptomatic infections, poor vaccination strategies, limited access to medical countermeasures, and low detection rates were other concerns,” reads the declaration.
The outbreak is further complicated by a high case fatality rate of over 3·9%, particularly among children younger than 15 years, who account for 60% of cases.
Cross-border movements, low public awareness, high vulnerability due to factors such as HIV and malnutrition, limited understanding of mpox transmission, and insufficient response capacities, including vaccine shortages, pose significant challenges to containment.
The risk of mpox spreading to neighbouring countries and globally is high.
