The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that 11 African countries reported active mpox cases from 6 July to 16 August 2026. There were 1,153 confirmed cases and seven deaths during this period.
The WHO shared this information in its Mpox: Multi-country External Situation Report published on 14 September.
Madagascar recorded the highest number of cases with 785. Angola followed with 184 cases, Kenya had 94, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had 41, and Cameroon reported 28 cases.
WHO stated that “reported weekly confirmed cases have remained somewhat stable on the continent, with about 200 cases per week in recent weeks.” But it warned that the actual numbers might be lower due to delays in reporting and less surveillance.
Mpox cases since 2025
These latest numbers are part of a larger mpox outbreak that has affected 35 African countries since January 2025. The WHO report shows that from 1 January 2025 to 16 August 2026, there were 52,424 confirmed mpox cases and 238 deaths.
Worldwide, 65,784 confirmed cases and 264 deaths were reported in 105 countries between 1 January 2025 and 31 July 2026. In July alone, 32 countries reported 1,370 confirmed cases and seven deaths, with Africa accounting for 74.8 percent of these cases.
New spread
WHO also pointed out new developments in how the virus spreads. Chile and Hungary reported mpox infections caused by clade Ib for the first time. Community transmission of this clade was reported in Czechia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Spain had the highest total number of clade Ib cases, with 241. France had 173 cases, Portugal had 162, and Germany had 140.
Madagascar continues to be a major concern. WHO described its outbreak as the largest mpox outbreak globally and in Africa since December 2025. As of 16 August, Madagascar had confirmed 3,436 cases and reported 22 deaths.
Emergency status
This latest news comes months after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared an end to mpox as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) in January 2026. Africa CDC explained that the emergency declaration was lifted as the continent shifted from urgent responses to longer-term control and elimination of the disease.
The agency noted that suspected mpox cases dropped by 40 percent and confirmed cases by 60 percent from early to late 2025. The suspected case fatality ratio also decreased from 2.6 percent to 0.6 percent.
But it emphasized that mpox is still a problem in some areas and vaccination remains key in the fight against it. The WHO now sees the ongoing multi-country outbreak as a graded health emergency and has extended its recommendations on mpox until August 2027.
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