NAIROBI: More than 800 people across Africa have died from mpox, the African Union’s disease control center said Thursday, warning the epidemic “was not under control.”
Some 34,297 cases have been recorded across the continent since January, the AU’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said, adding that the figure included 38 cases in Ghana.
This brings to 16 the number of African countries where mpox has been officially detected this year, according to the health agency.
“The epidemic is not under control,” Jean Kaseya, the head of Africa CDC told a press briefing, saying the number of deaths since the start of the year was 866.
He also warned that the testing rate remained “too low,” noting that some 2,500 new cases had been detected in the past week.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) — the epicenter of the outbreak — would begin vaccinating in two days, Kaseya added. Vaccinations had been due to begin October 2.
Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals but can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact.
It causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions, and can be deadly.
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More than 800 mpox deaths recorded across Africa
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More than 800 mpox deaths recorded across Africa
- “The epidemic is not under control,” Jean Kaseya, the head of Africa CDC said
- The Democratic Republic of Congo would begin vaccinating in two days
Russia condemns Qaddafi’s son killing, wants ‘thorough investigation’
MOSCOW: Russia on Wednesday condemned the killing of Seif Al-Islam Qaddafi, son of slain Libyan ruler Muammar Qaddafi, and called for a thorough probe into his death.
“We strongly condemn this crime. We hope a thorough investigation will be conducted and the perpetrators will be brought to justice,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.
A lawyer who had been representing Seif Al-Islam told AFP the ex-leader’s son was killed by four unidentified attackers who stormed his house on Tuesday.
Libyan prosecutors said Wednesday they were investigating the killing and that forensic experts had been dispatched to Zintan in northwest Libya, where he was shot dead.
The 53-year-old had been seen by some as a potential successor to his father, who was toppled and killed in 2011 after a NATO-led military intervention.
In 2021, prosecutors in Libya issued an arrest warrant for Seif Al-Islam over suspected ties to the Russian mercenary Wagner group, according to the BBC. Wagner has since been disbanded and replaced with the state-backed Africa Corps.
He was suspected of having strong links with Russia.
“We strongly condemn this crime. We hope a thorough investigation will be conducted and the perpetrators will be brought to justice,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.
A lawyer who had been representing Seif Al-Islam told AFP the ex-leader’s son was killed by four unidentified attackers who stormed his house on Tuesday.
Libyan prosecutors said Wednesday they were investigating the killing and that forensic experts had been dispatched to Zintan in northwest Libya, where he was shot dead.
The 53-year-old had been seen by some as a potential successor to his father, who was toppled and killed in 2011 after a NATO-led military intervention.
In 2021, prosecutors in Libya issued an arrest warrant for Seif Al-Islam over suspected ties to the Russian mercenary Wagner group, according to the BBC. Wagner has since been disbanded and replaced with the state-backed Africa Corps.
He was suspected of having strong links with Russia.
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