Nigeria has the highest monkeypox death toll in Africa – WHO

The World Health Organization has said that Nigeria has the highest death toll and confirmed cases of monkeypox in Africa.

This was disclosed by WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, during a virtual press briefing tagged, ‘Road to defeating Meningitis by 2030’, on Thursday September 8. 

Moeti said Nigeria recorded half of the fatalities linked to the disease, with others reported in Ghana and in the Central African Republic.

She said; 

“For monkeypox, there have now been 524 confirmed cases and 12 deaths across 11 African countries.

“The majority of cases are in Nigeria, DRC & Ghana. Of the 12 deaths, six occurred in Nigeria, four in Ghana, and two in the Central African Republic.

“Although no single monkeypox vaccine has been administered to any high-risk group in any of the African countries reporting cases, WHO has provided 39,000 test kits to countries, enabling improved testing rates.”