Eleven African countries recorded active transmission of mpox over a six week period, with 1,153 confirmed cases and seven deaths reported between July 6 and August 16, 2026.
The World Health Organisation disclosed this in its latest Mpox Multi country External Situation Report published on September 14.
Madagascar recorded the highest number of confirmed cases during the period, with 785 infections. Angola followed with 184 cases, while Kenya reported 94, the Democratic Republic of the Congo recorded 41 and Cameroon had 28 cases.
According to the WHO, the number of confirmed cases reported each week across Africa has remained relatively stable in recent weeks, averaging about 200 cases per week.
The organisation, however, warned that the reported figures may not reflect the full scale of transmission because of delays in reporting and reduced disease surveillance in some areas.
The latest figures form part of the wider mpox outbreak that has affected 35 African countries since January 2025.
Between January 1, 2025 and August 16, 2026, African countries reported 52,424 confirmed mpox cases and 238 deaths, according to the WHO.
Worldwide, 105 countries reported 65,784 confirmed cases and 264 deaths between January 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026.
The WHO also reported that 32 countries recorded 1,370 confirmed cases and seven deaths in July alone. The African Region accounted for 74.8 percent of those cases.
The latest report also highlighted changes in the geographical spread of mpox. Chile and Hungary recorded their first cases linked to clade Ib, a strain that has also been associated with community transmission in several European countries.
Community transmission of clade Ib has been reported in Czechia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Spain recorded the highest cumulative number of clade Ib cases among the countries listed, with 241 cases. France followed with 173, Portugal with 162 and Germany with 140.
Madagascar remains a major area of concern for health authorities. The WHO described the country’s outbreak as the largest mpox outbreak globally and within the African Region since December 2025.
