Rwanda’s outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus is showing signs of easing following targeted vaccinations of the most vulnerable groups, including healthcare workers, the country’s health minister announced on Thursday. However, the spread of mpox remains a growing concern across the continent, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
In early October, Rwanda began administering vaccines to curb the Ebola-like Marburg virus outbreak. Since then, new infections have fallen by more than 50%, and several consecutive days have passed without new cases or deaths, according to Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana.
“Overall, the trend is very encouraging, very positive, both on the new infections declining significantly and also the mortality reducing,” Nsanzimana told reporters during an online briefing.
Nsanzimana reported that the outbreak had resulted in 62 confirmed cases and 15 deaths. Currently, 38 people have recovered from the viral hemorrhagic fever, while nine remain under treatment in specialized centers. The decrease in cases signals a potential turning point in the country’s efforts to contain the outbreak.
Despite the success in controlling Marburg, mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) continues to spread across Africa. Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa CDC, revealed that the number of African countries affected by mpox rose from six in April to 18 by October.
“We don’t want to see all African countries being affected. This is why we need to intensify our effort,” Kaseya said during the briefing. He reported that the continent has recorded over 42,000 suspected mpox cases and 1,100 deaths this year alone.
While international donors have pledged more than $800 million to support Africa’s fight against mpox, Kaseya stressed the urgency of translating these promises into tangible action. “We want to see concrete action on the ground to stop this outbreak… We cannot continue like that. We need to save lives and secure the future of our continent,” he urged.
As Rwanda continues to make progress in battling Marburg, the wider African continent is still grappling with the mpox outbreak, underscoring the need for continued vigilance and rapid mobilization of resources.
