Africa has recorded more than 61,383 mpox cases and 296 deaths across 32 countries since early 2024, as continent-wide efforts to develop effective treatment options gather momentum.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) disclosed this in a statement made available to reporters on Saturday in Abuja.
The statement followed the announcement of a collaboration between Emergent BioSolutions and the Pandemic Preparedness Platform for Health and Emerging Infections Response (PANTHER) to provide additional financial support for the Africa CDC-led Mpox Study in Africa (MOSA).
The MOSA initiative, launched in 2024, is a double-blind, platform-adaptive clinical trial designed to evaluate potential treatment options for patients diagnosed with mpox across multiple African countries.
The Director-General of Africa CDC, Dr Jean Kaseya, said the study marked a critical step toward strengthening Africa’s capacity to respond to emerging and re-emerging public health threats.
“This study represents a critical step in generating evidence to inform mpox treatment and strengthen Africa’s capacity to respond to emerging health threats,” Kaseya said.
He added that Africa CDC would continue to work closely with partners to advance research, improve preparedness and enhance rapid outbreak response across the continent.
An independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) completed its initial review of MOSA safety data in December 2025 after the first 50 patients were randomized and recommended continuation of the trial, with no safety concerns identified.
Commenting on the development, Dr Simon Lowry, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research and Development at Emergent BioSolutions, said the company was proud to support the advancement of the trial.
“We applaud Africa CDC, the Democratic Republic of the Congo investigators and PANTHER for their efforts in reaching this important milestone and remain committed to collaborating with research partners to address global health threats,” Lowry said.
The study, which initially received funding from the European Union and Africa CDC, has focused largely on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), one of the countries most affected by mpox outbreaks.
Africa CDC and PANTHER plan to expand the trial to additional countries, including Uganda, as enrollment continues.
Africa CDC noted that the continent is affected by both major mpox clades — Clade I, which is endemic to Central Africa and associated with more severe illness, and Clade II, which is more prevalent in West Africa.
Recent outbreaks have also involved subclades such as Clade Ia, Ib, IIa and IIb.
Meanwhile, health experts said the MOSA trial is particularly significant as there is currently no dedicated antiviral therapy for mpox.
According to the experts, the development underscores the importance of Africa-led clinical research in improving treatment options and strengthening pandemic preparedness across the continent.
