South Sudan confirmed its first Mpox case on Friday, with Acting Health Minister James Hoth Mai identifying the patient as a 31-year-old Ugandan national, Morocco’s Press Agency (MAP) reported.
The National Public Health Laboratory verified the diagnosis on Thursday, prompting the Health Ministry to activate the Public Health Emergency Operations Center to manage the outbreak and prevent further spread.
In August, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency and launched a six-month continental response plan with a $600 million budget.
South Sudan’s first case highlights the challenges of containing the disease in the region as health authorities intensify efforts to manage and prevent its spread.