Daijiworld Media Network – Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, Jan 18: The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has sounded the alarm over a steep rise in public health emergencies across the continent, with over 200 disease outbreaks reported in 2024.

Addressing a virtual media briefing on Thursday, Africa CDC director-general Jean Kaseya highlighted the growing health challenges, particularly the multi-country mpox outbreak and other crises, urging unified efforts to tackle the pressing situation.

"The number of disease outbreaks in 2024 surpassed that of 2023. Last year, we recorded 213 events compared to 166 the year before. We hope 2025 will bring better outcomes," Kaseya said, as quoted by Xinhua news agency.

Kaseya identified cholera, measles, dengue, mpox, and diphtheria as the top five diseases burdening Africa in 2024.

Cholera emerged as the deadliest, with the continent reporting 204,115 cases and 3,747 deaths last year. Measles closely followed with 234,320 cases and 3,220 fatalities. Mpox ranked third in terms of fatalities, with 21 countries reporting 77,888 cases and 1,321 deaths since early 2024.

The Africa CDC chief attributed the rising emergencies to factors like climate change and rapid urbanisation. He emphasised the urgent need for investments in public health infrastructure, including laboratories, vaccine production, and medical equipment manufacturing.

Kaseya also called for strengthening Africa's public health workforce, improving genomic sequencing to address priority diseases, and empowering national health institutes to manage crises effectively.

"We are closely monitoring diseases across the continent and supporting our member states with timely responses," he added.

The Africa CDC has reiterated its commitment to combating health challenges, hoping for stronger collaboration in the year ahead.