Africa has recorded more than 61,000 cases of mpox and nearly 300 related deaths across 32 countries since early 2024, prompting renewed efforts to develop effective treatment options for the disease.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention disclosed that 61,383 confirmed cases and 296 deaths have been documented so far, highlighting the growing public health concern on the continent.
The update followed the announcement of a new collaboration between Emergent BioSolutions and the Pandemic Preparedness Platform for Health and Emerging Infections Response (PANTHER).
The partnership will provide additional financial backing for the Africa CDC-led Mpox Study in Africa (MOSA).
MOSA, launched in 2024, is a double-blind, platform-adaptive clinical trial aimed at assessing potential treatment options for patients diagnosed with mpox in several African countries.
Speaking on the development, Africa CDC Director-General, Dr Jean Kaseya, described the study as a major milestone in strengthening the continent’s response to infectious disease outbreaks.
“This research is a vital step toward generating evidence that will guide mpox treatment and improve Africa’s capacity to respond to emerging and re-emerging public health threats,” Kaseya said.
He added that Africa CDC would continue to collaborate with regional and global partners to enhance preparedness, expand research, and ensure rapid response to outbreaks.
An independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board completed an initial safety review of the MOSA trial in December 2025, after the first 50 participants were enrolled. The board recommended that the trial should continue, noting that no safety concerns were identified.
Also commenting, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research and Development at Emergent BioSolutions, Dr Simon Lowry, said the company was committed to supporting Africa-led health research.
“We are proud to support this important trial and commend Africa CDC, investigators in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and PANTHER for reaching this significant milestone,” Lowry stated.
The study, which initially received funding from the European Union and Africa CDC, has primarily focused on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—one of the countries hardest hit by mpox outbreaks. Plans are underway to expand the trial to other countries, including Uganda, as enrolment progresses.
Africa CDC noted that the continent continues to battle multiple mpox clades, including Clade I, which is associated with more severe illness and is endemic in Central Africa, and Clade II, more common in West Africa. Recent outbreaks have also involved several subclades.
