Maghreb Edition

Morocco: First Mpox case reported in Marrakech, health authorities activate emergency protocolsF

Posted On 17 September 2024

Number of times this article was read : 9609

With dense ties to West Africa, Morocco now has its first Mpox case, identified in the tourism city of Marrakech. This marks the first case in North Africa, prompting an immediate activation of emergency protocols and a damage-control communication strategy coming from Rabat that seeks to appease concerns and calls for calm.  Among the actions taken by Morocco’s public health authorities has been to speed up contact tracing to prevent contagion.

Morocco is now the 15th African nation to report Mpox, after it originated from Central and East Africa.   Africa CDC says in this outbreak, the Clade 1 variant of Mpox, carries a 3.6% fatality rate, making it especially dangerous for vulnerable groups like children.

So far, Africa has more than 26,000 reported cases, 5,700 are confirmed and 724 people died from the disease so far.

In addition to contact tracing, the Moroccan authorities have opted to postpone a major international public health event, originally scheduled for November. The 4th International Conference on Public Health, which would have been a platform for global health experts to discuss pressing health issues, has been pushed indefinitely until the situation is under control.

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Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.