Africa has recorded more than 61,383 confirmed cases of mpox and 296 related deaths across 32 countries since early 2024, highlighting the scale of the public health challenge facing the continent as efforts intensify to identify effective treatment options.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, a public health agency of the African Union headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, disclosed the figures in a statement released on Saturday in Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital. The update came amid renewed momentum around Africa-led clinical research into mpox treatment.
The disclosure followed the announcement of a new collaboration agreement between Emergent BioSolutions, a global biopharmaceutical company based in the United States, and the Pandemic Preparedness Platform for Health and Emerging Infections Response, also known as PANTHER. According to the statement, the partnership is designed to provide additional financial support for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention-led Mpox Study in Africa.
Okay News reports that the Mpox Study in Africa, also known as the MOSA initiative, was launched in 2024 as a double-blind, platform-adaptive clinical trial. The study is structured to assess potential treatment options for patients diagnosed with mpox across several African countries, marking one of the most coordinated research efforts on the disease within the continent.
Speaking on the importance of the study, the Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jean Kaseya, described the initiative as a major step toward improving Africa’s ability to manage both emerging and re-emerging health threats.
“This study represents a critical step in generating evidence to inform mpox treatment and strengthen Africa’s capacity to respond to emerging health threats,” Kaseya said.
He added that the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention would continue to work closely with international and regional partners to advance scientific research, improve preparedness, and enhance rapid outbreak response mechanisms across African countries.
Further updates from the agency revealed that an independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board completed its initial safety review of the MOSA trial in December 2025. The review followed the randomisation of the first 50 patients enrolled in the study, with the board recommending the continuation of the trial after identifying no safety concerns.
Reacting to the development, Dr Simon Lowry, the Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research and Development at Emergent BioSolutions, said the company was pleased to support the progress of the trial.
“We applaud Africa CDC, the Democratic Republic of the Congo investigators and PANTHER for their efforts in reaching this important milestone and remain committed to collaborating with research partners to address global health threats,” Lowry said.
The study initially received funding support from the European Union and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, with early research activities concentrated largely in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a Central African country that has experienced some of the most severe mpox outbreaks in recent years.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that plans are underway to expand the clinical trial to additional countries, including Uganda in East Africa, as patient enrolment continues.
The agency also noted that Africa is currently affected by both major mpox clades. These include Clade I, which is endemic to Central Africa and often associated with more severe illness, and Clade II, which is more common in West Africa. Recent outbreaks have also involved subclades such as Clade Ia, Clade Ib, Clade IIa, and Clade IIb.
Health experts say the MOSA trial is particularly significant because there is currently no dedicated antiviral therapy approved specifically for mpox. They stressed that the initiative underscores the importance of Africa-led clinical research in strengthening treatment options and improving long-term pandemic preparedness on the continent.
