
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>Sweden&nbsp;<a href="https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/the-public-health-agency-of-sweden/communicable-disease-control/disease-information-about-mpox/one-case-of-mpox-clade-i-reported-in-sweden/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">confirmed</a>&nbsp;it had its first case of mpox, a disease formerly known as monkeypox, shortly after the World Health Organization declared an international health emergency over Africa’s escalating mpox outbreak.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>The Public Health Agency of Sweden said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/the-public-health-agency-of-sweden/communicable-disease-control/disease-information-about-mpox/one-case-of-mpox-clade-i-reported-in-sweden/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">press release</a>&nbsp;Thursday a person who “sought care at Region Stockholm has been diagnosed with mpox caused by the clade I variant.”</p>



<p>The person had been infected during a stay in Africa, the agency said, adding the diagnosis “does not affect the risk to the general population,” which is currently “very low.”</p>



<p>The case makes Sweden the first country outside of Africa to report a case of the new mpox variant.</p>



<p>The clade I&nbsp;<a href="https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/the-public-health-agency-of-sweden/communicable-disease-control/disease-information-about-mpox/one-case-of-mpox-clade-i-reported-in-sweden/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">variant</a>&nbsp;is an offshoot of the mpox virus that is “likely to be associated with a higher risk of a more severe course of disease and higher mortality” and seems to spread more easily between people, especially children, through regular close contact within households.</p>



<p>WHO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/14-08-2024-who-director-general-declares-mpox-outbreak-a-public-health-emergency-of-international-concern" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;Wednesday the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and an increasing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, which is “the highest level of alarm under international health law,” WHO’s director general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/WHO/status/1823771400420909265" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p>This is the second public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) caused by mpox in as many years. In July 2022 a multi-country outbreak of mpox was declared as a PHEIC as cases “spread rapidly via sexual contact across a range of countries where the virus had not been seen before,” WHO said. That emergency ended less than a year later, in May 2023, after there had been a sustained decline in cases globally. As of Monday, at least 12 countries had reported Clade I mpox infections this year, with 2,863 cases and 517 deaths, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://africacdc.org/news-item/africa-cdc-declares-mpox-a-public-health-emergency-of-continental-security-mobilizing-resources-across-the-continent/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention</a>, and suspected cases across the continent had surpassed 17,000. The virus itself is a close relative of smallpox, one of the deadliest human pathogens and the only infectious human disease to have been eradicated, though it is less severe.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-there-an-mpox-vaccine">Is There An Mpox Vaccine?</h2>



<p>There is a modern vaccine produced by Bavarian Nordic that was rolled out during the 2022 global outbreak, but supplies are limited and many of the countries with the largest outbreaks are also not equipped with the basic health infrastructure to deliver the shots effectively. But, Africa CDC did sign an agreement with the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority and Bavarian Nordic to provide more than 215,000 doses of their vaccine, and the Africa&nbsp;<a href="https://africacdc.org/news-item/africa-cdc-declares-mpox-a-public-health-emergency-of-continental-security-mobilizing-resources-across-the-continent/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">CDC said</a>&nbsp;it would oversee vaccine distribution and prioritize local needs.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">Tangent</h2>



<p>The declaration of the international emergency led to Bavarian Nordic’s shares <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/08/15/vaccine-maker-shares-soar-after-who-declares-health-emergency-over-africa-mpox-outbreak/">jumping</a> as much as 17% in early trading Thursday in Copenhagen, though gains fell throughout the day. On Wednesday, the company’s stock climbed about 12% following WHO’s declaration of the emergency.</p>


Monkeypox and Covid Tests Processing at AEGIS Labs

Sweden Reports Mpox Case—First Non-African Country With New Variant


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>The World Health Organization declared an international health emergency Wednesday over an escalating mpox outbreak in Africa, joining the continent’s&nbsp;<a href="https://africacdc.org/news-item/africa-cdc-declares-mpox-a-public-health-emergency-of-continental-security-mobilizing-resources-across-the-continent/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">top public health body</a>—warning the disease could snowball without immediate steps to contain it and stoking fears a deadlier mpox pandemic could be on the horizon.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the African Union’s health watchdog and the top public health body on the continent, said a growing mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries constitutes a “public health emergency of continental security” on Tuesday.</p>



<p>The emergency designation is the agency’s first since launching in 2017 and comes amid growing concern among scientists over the rapid, unchecked spread of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/06/26/dangerous-new-mpox-virus-sparks-global-outbreak-fears/">concerning mpox strain</a>&nbsp;that is more lethal than the version of the virus responsible for the global outbreak in 2022.</p>



<p>The variant, called mpox clade Ib (1B), is an offshoot of the clade I virus that has caused sporadic outbreaks in the DRC for decades and appears to spread more easily between people through routine close contact, especially among children.</p>



<p>Clade I infections have historically been confined to central Africa, predominantly the DRC, but the Africa CDC said the disease has now spread beyond Congo to at least 13 countries, with four—Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya—<a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/08/1153141" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">reporting</a>&nbsp;their very first clade I cases in recent months.</p>



<p>Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya&nbsp;<a href="https://africacdc.org/news-item/speech-of-the-director-general-africa-cdc-on-the-declaration-of-mpox-as-a-public-health-emergency-of-continental-security-phecs/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">stressed</a>&nbsp;the declaration is “not merely a formality” but a “clarion call to action” in recognition of a “crisis that demands our collective action.”</p>



<p>Kaseya said “there is no need for travel restrictions at this time,” adding the decision will unlock funding and other resources and mobilize institutions in affected countries to empower health officials to act “swiftly and decisively” in the face of outbreaks.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-news-peg">News Peg</h2>



<p>WHO’s emergency committee met Wednesday and declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, which is “the highest level of alarm under international health law,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s director general, said during a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/WHO/status/1823771400420909265" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">press conference</a>. This is the second time the agency has declared a global mpox outbreak: WHO declared a PHEIC in July 2022 and lifted the designation roughly a year later in May 2023. “In addition to other outbreaks of other clades of mpox in other parts of Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,&#8221; Tedros said.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-bad-is-the-outbreak-in-africa">How Bad Is The Outbreak In Africa?</h2>



<p>At least 13 African countries have reported clade I mpox infections and in 2024 so far there have been 2,863 cases and 517 deaths. Most of these have been in the DRC, the Africa CDC said. Given limited capacity for testing to confirm infections genetically, confirmed cases give only a limited picture. Suspected cases on the continent are in excess of 17,000 this year so far, up from just under 15,000 for all of 2023 and around 7,150 for 2022. Africa CDC said “this is just the tip of the iceberg” given the “many weaknesses in surveillance, laboratory testing and contact tracing.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-mpox-and-how-can-it-be-stopped">What Is Mpox And How Can It Be Stopped?</h2>



<p>Mpox is a disease formerly known as monkeypox. Symptoms include a fever, swollen lymph nodes and characteristic rash and the disease follows infection with the monkeypox virus, typically through close contact with infected humans, animals or contaminated materials like bed linen. The disease is normally mild but can kill, with young children and people with compromised immune systems especially vulnerable. The virus is a close relative of smallpox, one of the deadliest human pathogens and the only infectious human disease to have been eradicated, though it is much less severe (smallpox killed around a third of people infected in the best cases). There are two broad groups of monkeypox virus that cause mpox infections: clade I and clade II. Data suggests infections with the former has a fatality rate of around 10% and the rate for clade II is less than 1%. Specific treatments for infection are limited and largely untested, especially in mpox clade I infections, and hospitals are mostly restricted to providing supportive care in the worst cases. Smallpox vaccines have been shown to provide at least some degree of protection against infection, though data is limited, particularly for clade I infections. As smallpox was eradicated globally in 1980, and eliminated in many countries much earlier, many people alive today have not received a vaccine for the virus or, if they have, will have done so a long time ago. Other preventative measures include avoiding bushmeat, potentially infected animals and avoiding unprotected close contact with those who appear infected or materials they’ve come into contact with.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">Tangent</h2>



<p>Many older smallpox vaccines are kept as a biosecurity measure in national stockpiles but are not considered appropriate to use in most circumstances given the strong risk of potentially severe side effects. A more modern vaccine, produced by Bavarian Nordic, is an improvement on these and was rolled out during the global outbreak in 2022, but supplies are limited and the shots can be costly for poorer nations dealing with mpox outbreaks like many of those in Africa. Complicating matters is that many of these countries also lack the basic health infrastructure to deliver the shots to those who need them in order to stamp out outbreaks effectively, particularly in rural areas. Supplies are likely to be an ongoing issue. Kaseya said the Africa CDC has signed a deal for 215,000 vaccines that are available now with Bavarian Nordic, with further plans to secure 3 million doses this year. Kaseya did not disclose details of plans to secure another 3 million doses this year and even if it materializes it falls&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/africa-cdc-declares-mpox-public-health-emergency-continental-security-director-2024-08-13/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">far short</a>&nbsp;of the more than 10 million doses Kaseya said will be needed on the continent.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p>Scientists have been aware of mpox for decades, but the disease has garnered relatively little international attention as outbreaks have typically been small in scope and limited to regions in central and western Africa, for clade I and II, respectively. Most cases were linked to spillover infections from animals and though scientists still aren’t clear what animals are the natural reservoirs of the virus, rodents are the primary suspect. That all changed in 2022 when the virus began spreading globally, predominantly, though not exclusively, in networks of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. The virus, an offshoot of clade II called clade IIb, appeared to be better able to spread among people and through sexual contact, a previously undocumented means of transmission.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">Crucial Quote</h2>



<p>“This is not just another challenge; it is a crisis that demands our collective action, a moment that calls upon the very essence of our humanity, our unity, and our strength,” Kaseya said when announcing the emergency declaration. “Our continent has seen many struggles,” Kaseya said, pointing to pandemics, outbreaks, natural disasters and conflicts, adding that “through every adversity, we have risen, not as fragmented nations, but as one Africa.” He urged nations to “summon that same spirit of solidarity” to tackle the mpox outbreak. “But let me be clear: this is not just an African issue. Mpox is a global threat,” Kaseya stressed, calling on nations around the world to help the continent combat the disease.</p>


Monkeypox Virus Photo Illustrations

WHO Declares Mpox A Public Health Emergency—Here’s What To Know


<p><strong>Stellenbosch FC’s Junior sides are consistently among the best in South Africa.</strong></p>



<p>It has only been getting better and better for Stellenbosch FC, slowly building a club of huge potential on the back of realistic ambition, patient approach, and all on a tight budget.</p>



<p>The club’s ultimate ownership lies with South African investment holding company Remgro, and the green light to buy the franchise more than a decade ago came from South African billionaire Johann Rupert. But it is run as its own business entity. The Stellenbosch Academy of Sports, who own the club, run a tight ship and has invested in player identification and an expansive youth policy.</p>



<p>Stellenbosch’s success lies on a bedrock of realistic goals and clever player purchases. They also showed restraint and calm when results at first did not go as planned, keeping faith in coach and former football player Steve Barker. This is now paying off as he has been in charge from virtually the start of the project a decade ago and led the club to promotion to the top flight in 2019.</p>



<p>It has meant a special synergy with the players too.</p>



<p>“I don’t think enough credit is given to these players,” says Barker, whose team won their first silverware this season for the Carling Knockout Cup in December.</p>



<p>Many of the players are homegrown products, particularly from Ida’s Valley and Stellenbosch and these areas have mined such rich talent.</p>



<p>Their junior sides are consistently among the best in the country, and they have not been scared to use youngsters into their first team, in contrast to the approach of many other South African clubs who are hesitant to put too much faith in the youth. “The youngsters are all maturing. It’s good to see that the hard work we’ve put in with them for many years is reaping rewards and I see many of them making their mark this season in the league,” adds the coach in discussion with FORBES AFRICA.</p>



<p>One Ida’s Valley graduate is Ashley du Preez, who, reportedly, earned the club over R10 million ($540,300) in a transfer fee when he moved to Kaizer Chiefs in 2022.</p>



<p>Recruitment has also been a success for Stellenbosch with a specialized department searching for players from around the world and making some eccentric signings.</p>



<p>Coach and footballer Ryan Hunt proved so good at identifying players who fit Stellenbosch’s ambitions, profile and pocket, that he was hired away by big-spending Mamelodi Sundowns. One of those was the Argentine Junior Mendieta, who was playing second division football in his country before arriving in South Africa after two seasons at Stellenbosch and was sold to Sundowns for an estimated R15 million ($811,000).</p>



<p>Stellenbosch have kept up their consistent search for players, using sophisticated statistics and data, and continue to unearth gems.</p>



<p>“I’ve been asked a lot about why we’ve done so well and I think it’s just consistency in selection and consistency in performance. And with that, obviously the belief and the confidence that’s grown within the team,” adds Barker.</p>



<p>“I think everybody’s contributed at some stage in the season. The team is in a happy space.”</p>


image

‘Team In Happy Space’: The South African Football Club On The Rise


<p>In an unprecedented move, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security – the first since the agency’s inception in 2017.</p>



<p>&#8220;This empowers us to forge new partnerships, strengthen our health systems, educate our communities, and deliver life-saving interventions where they are needed most,&#8221; said Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya during an online media briefing late yesterday announcing the emergency, noting that currently, travel restrictions were not required.</p>



<p>The declaration, which will allow the organization to empower and coordinate resources in response to the Mpox outbreak, comes as 13 countries on the continent have reported cases, with the total exceeding 17,000, the majority being registered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). However, the actual numbers could be higher due to a lack of consistent contact tracing and surveillance in many regions.</p>



<p>The situation has also deteriorated in countries like Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda, where the virus has crossed borders, leading to an alarming rise in infections.</p>



<p><strong>&#8220;This is not just another challenge; it’s a crisis that demands our collective action,” continued Kaseya.<br><br></strong>Africa CDC&#8217;s declaration underscores the severity of the Mpox outbreak, with the number of cases skyrocketing by 160% in the past year alone. According to the latest CDC data as of August 4, 2024, there have been 38,465 cases of Mpox and 1,456 deaths in Africa since January 2022. Experts warn that the true scale of the outbreak might be far worse, given the gaps in monitoring and reporting systems across the continent.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-background"><strong>Background</strong></h4>



<p>Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox. The virus has mutated into different clades, with the current outbreak predominantly linked to the Clade Ib subclade, which has spread rapidly across Central and Western Africa. The virus is transmitted through close physical contact, resulting in symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, and large boil-like skin lesions.</p>



<p>In response to the crisis, Africa CDC has coordinated with international partners, including the European Commission and Bavarian Nordic, to secure 215,000 doses of the MVA-BN® vaccine, the only FDA and EMA-approved Mpox vaccine. This donation comes at a crucial time, as the continent grapples with the rapid spread of the virus and the limited availability of vaccines. The vaccine distribution will prioritize the most-affected regions, aiming to curb the spread of the virus and protect vulnerable populations.</p>



<p>Stella Kyriakides, the European Union Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, emphasized the importance of international cooperation in this effort in a press release announcing the donation earlier today: &#8220;Strong global partnerships are at the very core of our European Health Union. Health security threats know no borders and today… Preparedness and response to health threats is a global endeavour which we are determined to pursue collectively and with solidarity across borders.&#8221;</p>


Tag: MPox

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Sweden Reports Mpox Case—First Non-African Country With New Variant

WHO Declares Mpox A Public Health Emergency—Here’s What To Know

‘Team In Happy Space’: The South African Football Club On The Rise

Mpox Declared Public Health Emergency By Africa CDC: ‘Crisis That Demands Collective Action’ As 13 African Countries Report Cases