Attachments
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
• The International Organization for Migration (IOM) launched a Flash Appeal on 21 August 2024. seeking USD 18.5 million to support its response. targeting 1.9 million individuals to prevent and control the spread of Mpox.
• In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), IOM has supported surveillance and community-based surveillance resulting in the screening of 230,236 travelers generating 4 alerts for secondary screening in 3 priority Points of Entries (PoEs) where there is a high movement of the cross-border population between the countries (DRC, Rwanda and Burundi). Additionally, IOM conducted Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) activities, reaching a total of 80,169 people at the same PoEs.
• In Burundi, Rwanda. and Kenya. IOM supported the development of the National Mpox preparedness and response plan and contributed largely on the inclusion of internally displaced persons (IDPs). migrants. highly mobile population. and host community into the plan.
• In South Sudan. IOM led the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for PoEs which is one of the activities that the Ministry of Health (MoH) and World Health Organization (WHO) identified as a key gap that needs to be addressed.
SITUATION OVERVIEW
WHO declared the Mpox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern under the International Health Regulations (2005) on 14 August 2024. Globally, with over 15,000 suspected cases and 537 deaths reported since the beginning of the year. The current outbreak is predominantly caused by MPXV Glade 1 b. which has emerged in the DRC and spread to neighboring countries, including Burundi. Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. UNICEF also activated Mpox preparedness and response as a Level-3 emergency Response on 20 August 2024.
DRC is experiencing one of the largest Mpox cases since the start of 2024, a cumulative total of 15,664 suspected cases and 548 deaths (case fatality ratio [CFR]: 3.5%) have been reported from epiweeks 1-31 in 2024. In epiweek 31 alone, 1.005 new suspected cases and 24 deaths (CFR: 2.5%) were reported.
In Burundi, there are over 160 confirmed cases and 605 suspected cases, with no deaths. The country experiences a risk of cross-border infection from DRC and Rwanda, the government faces multiple challenges to response including limited testing kits, isolation units, and medical resources, which result in limited access to health care for migrants, IDPs, and host communities.
In South Africa, 24 confirmed cases were reported between February and August 2024, including three deaths (CFR: 13%). The highest number of cases reported were among men aged 17-43, with 67% having underlying medical conditions such as HIV. Other countries that reported cases in 2024 include Kenya (I confirmed; 3 suspected), Uganda (3 confirmed; 49 suspected). Rwanda (4 confirmed; 0 suspected), and Nigeria (39 confirmed; 786 suspected). 10M is supporting national governments in enhancing disease surveillance, particularly in border communities and at PoEs.
No confirmed cases have been reported from 4 countries: South Sudan (0 confirmed; 21 suspected), Angola (0 confirmed; 21 suspected), Zambia (0 confirmed; 2 suspected). and Zimbabwe (0 confirmed; 0 suspected). IOM's mobility flows data using the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) monitored population movements from countries where Mpox cases have been identified and IOM is supporting cross-border collaboration in border areas to prevent the spread of Mpox.