Africa CDC Shifts Mpox Response to Long-Term Control

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that mpox is no longer classified as a continental public health emergency, following a sustained decline in reported cases and deaths across several African countries. The decision marks an important milestone in the continent's response, but health authorities caution that mpox remains endemic in parts of Africa and continues to pose an ongoing public health risk that cannot be ignored.The new phase focuses on strengthening routine surveillance, expanding laboratory capacity, supporting vaccination programmes and integrating mpox response into national health systems. Officials say the transition allows countries to move from crisis response to long-term disease management while building stronger systems to detect and respond quickly to future outbreaks.