Kenya: Mpox continues to spread across the country

Kenya Ministry of Health has announced that Mpox has spread to four additional counties during the last two months. In a statement, the Public Health Principal Secretary, Mary Muthoni, said the latest counties to be affected are Isiolo, Kisii, and Kirinyaga, which have recorded one case each, and Machakos, which has recorded two cases. Further cases have also been detected in other counties where Mpox cases had been identified before. Over 40 cases were reported in Busia, 37 in Mombasa, 16 in Nakuru, and 10 in Makueni. According to the Ministry, the total number of cases in the country is now 137, up from 67 in April. Muthoni said that more suspected cases are being investigated, with samples tested by the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) and other partner laboratories.
The Ministry has assured that it will collaborate with county governments to ensure the containment and suppression of the disease through case search, contact listing, tracing, investigation, and symptomatic management. Members of the public are urged to remain vigilant and access Mpox prevention and control messages by calling a telephone number. The announcement by the Ministry of Health follows a recent statement by WHO Director General, Tedros Adhanom, who warned that Mpox remains a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). Since 2024, over 37,000 cases and 125 deaths have been reported worldwide, with Africa as one of the worst affected regions.