By The Democratic Republic of Congo, which was once at the center of Africa’s mpox outbreak, has announced that the disease is no longer a national emergency. This marks a big change in how the continent is handling the situation.
While DRC is moving mpox into routine management, Kenya faces a different challenge: ensuring that available vaccines reach people.
At its weekly briefing, Africa CDC reported that the DRC has officially ended the mpox emergency following a significant drop in suspected and confirmed cases and deaths. Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya explained that the disease remains present but will now be managed as a regular public health issue.
Dr. Jean Kaseya- Director General, Africa CDC
Today, DRC, which was the epicenter of mpox, declared the end of this outbreak,” Dr. Kaseya said, describing it as a success made possible by political leadership and community involvement.
Africa CDC reported that DRC had more than 161,000 suspected cases, 37,000 confirmed cases, including more than 270 confirmed deaths during the outbreak. Health officials in Kinshasa said the improvement was due to a unified national response that used a One Health approach, bringing together experts in human, animal, and environmental health to work as one team.
DRC’s experience shows what can be achieved with strong coordination, political support, and a steady response.
Kenya, on the other hand, is facing a different stage of the outbreak.
By late March, Kenya’s Ministry of Health had recorded a cumulative 1,065 confirmed cases across 38 counties.
Early transmission was concentrated along major transport corridors linking Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu, Busia, and Malaba. Mombasa is currently the main hotspot, accounting for about 40 percent of confirmed cases.
Africa CDC Officials say the main challenge is not just having enough vaccines.
“Though the vaccines are available, the mobilization of the operational fund to run that vaccination has been a challenge,” Prof. Yap Boum, Deputy Incident Manager at Africa CDC’s Incident Management Support Team, said during a separate briefing.
This lack of funding affects key aspects of outbreak control, including transporting vaccine doses, deploying health workers, tracing contacts, strengthening surveillance, and working with communities where the virus is still spreading.
This is especially important in Kenya, where most of the outbreak is now managed outside hospitals. Africa CDC said 71 percent of confirmed cases are being cared for at home, so families and communities are carrying most of the burden.
This raises urgent questions about how quickly cases are identified, whether families receive adequate support, and how effectively public health teams reach people at risk.
This is a common problem in public health: supplies are available, but the systems that deliver them lack sufficient funding.
Africa CDC said it is working with partners and national groups to help Kenya’s vaccination campaign. The agency cited other African countries as examples, such as Madagascar, where local partners secured resources to support vaccination, and Uganda, where local funding sustained the effort after outside support ended.
For Kenya, the need for action is clear. Since about 40 percent of confirmed cases are in Mombasa, vaccination, surveillance, community outreach, and case management need to be especially strong there. However, responding in these hotspots requires money for staff, transport, outreach, protective gear, and follow-up. Without this support, vaccines may go unused, and the virus could continue to spread.
DRC and Kenya show two key lessons for Africa’s health systems. First, countries can control outbreaks by combining political commitment, coordination, and community involvement. Second, being prepared is not just about having vaccines or emergency tools. It also means funding the systems that get these resources to where they are needed most.
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