Angola is second African country with more recent cases of mpox

Dand according to the latest WHO report on the multinational outbreak of mpox, released today, Angola was only surpassed by Madagascar, which registered 785 cases in that period, and was ahead of Kenya (94), Democratic Republic of Congo (41) and Cameroon (28), between July 6 and August 16.

“ Although sporadic confirmed cases were detected at the end of 2024 and during 2025, there was a marked increase in the number of cases reported since mid-May 2026”, the WHO indicated.

“Eight of the 21 provinces (38%) reported confirmed cases since 2024, two of which (Cabinda and Moxio East) concentrated all confirmed cases since the beginning of the current outbreak in April 2026,” he added.

Cabinda concentrates 193 of the 274 confirmed cases, about 70% of the total.

Cabinda, separated from the rest of Angola by a narrow strip of territory belonging to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo), “represents a significant risk of cross-border spread”, warned the organisation.

Young adults aged 20 to 29 are the most affected group, corresponding to 53% of confirmed cases, while 56% of infections were reported among women and girls.

In the same report, the WHO recalled that response actions are ongoing by the Angolan authorities, “including the review and activation of the national response plan, the mobilisation of national and provincial rapid response teams”.

In addition, the authorities reinforced “the active search for cases in areas where there is transmission, the tracking and monitoring of contacts, community awareness raising and the vaccination of contacts and health professionals in municipalities with a higher risk of spread”.

In Guinea-Bissau, the WHO counted seven confirmed cases of mpox and no deaths until August 16, after the first case was confirmed on June 26.

Since the detection of the first case, 47 suspected cases were investigated, of which six had a positive result, raising the total number of confirmed infections to seven.

All cases were recorded in and around Bissau, and genomic analyses identified the circulation of the IIb clade of the mpox virus.

“ Response measures are underway, including activation of the Incident Management System, case investigation, contact tracing, case management, risk communication and community involvement,” the WHO stressed.

Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the Monkeypox virus, which can manifest through fever, headaches, muscle and joints, increased lymph nodes and skin or mucosal lesions, which may appear in the form of spots, blisters and wounds.