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July 12, 2022

Anna Murray 

The risk of zoonotic pathogen outbreaks, such as the monkeypox virus, which first infected animals before switching to people, is rising in Africa. According to World Health Organization (WHO) analysis released on July 14, 1,843 documented public health events were recorded in the African region since 2001, 30% of which were zoonotic epidemics, also known as illnesses that spread from animals to humans. There have been 63 percent more zoonotic outbreaks in the region in the ten years from 2012 to 2022 than there were in the years from 2001 to 2011.

Additionally, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, spoke during a virtual press conference that more than 75% of new infectious diseases are caused by infections spread by wild or domestic animals. They contribute significantly to the global disease burden, which results in about a billion sick people and millions of fatalities annually.

Around 70% of those significant public health events in Africa were caused by diseases like Ebola and other infectious diseases, along with ailments like monkeypox, anthrax, and plague. Dr. Moeti urged world leaders to take action to prevent Africa from turning becoming a hub for newly emerging infectious illnesses.