Ministry confirms two more Mpox cases

By Peter Ochieng

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed two new Mpox cases in Makueni and Kajiado Counties respectively.

According to a statement signed by Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Health Deborah Barasa, the number of confirmed Mpox cases in the country now stand at seven.

"The ministry of health wishes to report that two new Mpox cases have been confirmed from Makueni and Kajiado counties respectively, bringing the total number of the confirmed cases to seven," she said.

The confirmed Mpox cases, CS Barasa added, are distributed in seven counties. They are Taita Taveta (1), Busia (1), Nairobi (1), Mombasa (1), Nakuru (1), Makueni (1) and Kajiado (1).

No deaths have so far been reported among the confirmed cases.

"64 contacts of five cases were identified; traced, monitored and completed the recommended 21-day follow up period," added the CS.

"Only one of the contacts tested positive for Mpox during the follow up period. Contact tressing for the newly confirmed cases is currently ongoing in the affected counties."

Last week, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) raised alarm over the government's Sh6.7 billion Mpox response fund, stating it is insufficient and not effectively prioritised.

The CSOs representatives urged the government to refocus the allocation towards critical areas like vaccine procurement, advanced diagnostic tools, and community sensitisation.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Kenya Country Program Director, Dr. Samuel Kinyanjui warned that Mpox is a highly contagious disease with a death-per-infection ratio of about 3.33%.

"Mpox could follow the same path as COVID-19. The reported five cases today could turn into thousands, just like one COVID case led to more than 300,000 infections and nearly 6,000 deaths. We must act now before it’s too late," he said.

Kinyanjui urged the World Health Organisation (WHO) to expedite the review and approval of alternative Mpox vaccines, in order to enhance affordability and accessibility by increasing the number of manufacturers.

Currently, he said, the only available vaccine, MVA-BN, is priced at Sh12,900 per dose, making it prohibitively expensive for many.