The east African nation, however, declared Mpox as a national public health emergency.
The Africa Center for Disease Control has officially declared the ongoing Mpox outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS), marking the first such declaration by the agency since its inception in 2017.
“Notably, Ethiopia has not reported any Mpox infections to date,” the ministry said in a statement.
In Ethiopia, the Ministry of Health has disclosed that control and inspection operations are currently underway at Moyale and other entry points, such as the Bole International Airport.
In a joint effort, the Ministry and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute are closely monitoring the situation alongside relevant authorities.
In that regard, as of the latest updates, no cases of Mpox have been reported in Ethiopia, the Ministry confirmed.
At least 13 African countries, including previously unaffected nations like Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, have reported Mpox outbreaks, according to Africa CDC’s latest statement.
So far in 2024, these countries have confirmed 2,863 cases and 517 deaths, primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Suspected cases across the continent have surged past 17,000, a significant increase from 7,146 cases in 2022 and 14,957 cases in 2023.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when we consider the many weaknesses in surveillance, laboratory testing and contact tracing, Africa CDC said.
MG/abj/APA