The mpox outbreak, once confined to Central and West
Africa, has now emerged as a significant global public health
concern, with an increasing number of cases, particularly in
East Africa.1 Similar patterns of mpox outbreaks have been
observed in neighboring East African countries, such as
Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda. Kenya reported its
first Mpox case in July 2024, and by mid-August, 14 suspected cases had been identified, with Burundi experiencing
rapid spread of the outbreak. As of August 2024, there were
545 suspected cases and 142 confirmed cases across the region. Mpox outbreaks have also been reported in Rwanda
and Uganda, with confirmed cases linked to travel to the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Notably, no
mpox cases have been reported in Somalia, highlighting the
cross-border nature of disease spread. Genomic sequencing
has revealed that these cases are linked to clade I of the mpox
virus, further complicating regional response efforts.