The Emergency Consultative Group (ECG), which advises the Director General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on mpox, has urged that the Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) remain in place.

Meeting on 2 September 2025 to review the outbreak and assess whether the emergency status should be lifted, the Group concluded that maintaining the declaration is essential to preserve political will, mobilise resources, and keepcountries on high alert. Members warned that lifting the status prematurely could trigger complacency, reduce funding, and increase the risk of resurgence.

The Group’s recommendation followed a detailed review of the mpox situation. Weekly confirmed cases declined by 52 per cent between weeks 17–22 and weeks 27–32 of 2025. Yet, surges emerged in Ghana, Liberia, Kenya, Zambia, and Tanzania, with fresh introductions of the virus reported in Malawi, Ethiopia, Senegal, Togo, The Gambia, and Mozambique.

Ethiopia and the Central African Republic reported infant deaths, while several countries — including Sierra Leone, Congo, Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, CAR, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Cameroon — continued to register case fatality rates above one per cent. The overall continental case fatality rate stood at 0.5 per cent.