Madagascar documented the highest number of cases during this timeframe at 785, followed by Angola (184), Kenya (94), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (41), and Cameroon (28).
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that 11 African nations experienced active mpox transmission over the six-week period from July 6 to August 16, 2026, accumulating 1,153 confirmed cases and seven fatalities.
This information was disclosed in the organization’s Mpox: Multi-country External Situation Report, which was published on September 14.
The report indicated that Madagascar registered the most cases at 785, trailed by Angola at 184, Kenya at 94, the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 41, and Cameroon at 28.
The WHO noted that “weekly confirmed cases across the continent have remained relatively stable, averaging approximately 200 cases per week in recent weeks.”
However, the organization cautioned that these figures might be underestimated owing to reporting delays and diminished surveillance efforts.
Mpox Cases Since 2025
These latest figures are part of a broader multi-country mpox outbreak that has impacted 35 African nations since January 2025.
According to the WHO report, these countries documented 52,424 confirmed mpox cases and 238 deaths between January 1, 2025, and August 16, 2026.
Globally, 65,784 confirmed cases and 264 deaths were reported across 105 countries between January 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026.
The WHO stated that 32 countries reported 1,370 confirmed cases and seven deaths in July alone, with the African Region accounting for 74.8 percent of those cases.
New Spread
The WHO also reported new developments regarding the virus’s transmission. Chile and Hungary reported mpox caused by clade Ib for the first time, whereas community transmission of the clade was documented in Czechia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Spain recorded the highest cumulative number of clade Ib cases within this group at 241, followed by France (173), Portugal (162), and Germany (140).
Madagascar remains a significant concern, as the WHO described its outbreak as the largest mpox occurrence globally and within the African Region since December 2025.
As of August 16, Madagascar had recorded 3,436 confirmed cases and 22 deaths.
Emergency Status
This latest development 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.
At that time, the Africa CDC stated that the emergency declaration was being lifted as the continent transitioned from an emergency response to longer-term control and elimination of the disease.
The agency reported that suspected mpox cases decreased by 40 percent and confirmed cases by 60 percent between early and late 2025, while the suspected case fatality ratio dropped from 2.6 percent to 0.6 percent.
However, it stressed that mpox remained endemic in certain settings and that vaccination would remain central to the ongoing response.
The WHO now views the ongoing multi-country outbreak as a graded health emergency and has extended its standing recommendations regarding mpox until August 2027.
