GENEVA, November 12. /TASS/. More than 1,800 laboratory-confirmed cases of mpox (the new name for monkeypox) were reported in Africa from October 20 to November 3. The Democratic Republic of Congo experienced the largest increase in cases and deaths during this period, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported.

According to the WHO, 11,140 confirmed cases of mpox infection and 53 deaths were recorded in Africa from January 1 to November 3, an increase of 1,828 and 19, respectively, from October 20. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the number of cases has increased by 1,128 since October 20 to 8,662, and the number of deaths has increased by 18 to 43.

From January 1, 2022, through September 30 of this year, 109,699 confirmed cases of mpox have been detected in 123 countries, including 236 deaths. The mpox global health emergency was initially in effect from July 2022 to May 11, 2023. It was lifted due to a decline in cases, but on August 14 this year, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reinstated the emergency because of the outbreak in Africa.