Title: "Public Health Emergency" in Africa Due to This Disease

The health authority of the African Union has declared a public health emergency, the highest level of preparedness, due to the outbreak of monkeypox in the continent, urging action to limit its spread. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention until the 4th of this month, there have been 38,465 cases of monkeypox in 16 African countries and 1,456 deaths since January 2022, with a 160% increase in cases for the year 2024 compared to the previous year. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, stated in a press conference, "I announce with a heavy heart but with an unwavering commitment to our African people that monkeypox is a public health emergency threatening security across the continent." This announcement will specifically allow for funding requests to obtain vaccines and respond at the continental level, just ahead of a meeting of the World Health Organization's emergency committee to assess whether to declare the highest level of preparedness to confront the epidemic. A new strain of the virus, more lethal and more transmissible than previous strains, detected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in September 2023, raises concerns about the spread of this virus.