ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Cholera and mpox outbreaks in various parts of Africa have claimed more than 8,000 lives so far in 2025, as the continent battles mounting public health emergencies, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has said.

Speaking at an online media briefing on Thursday, Yap Boum II, deputy incident manager for mpox at the Africa CDC, said Africa has recorded 132,008 mpox cases since the start of this year, including 40,138 confirmed ones, and 952 related deaths.

The agency highlighted that mpox response efforts are showing positive results, with both confirmed and suspected cases declining steadily in recent weeks compared to the peak around May.

Meanwhile, the Africa CDC warned over the increasing death toll as a result of cholera outbreaks, as some 24 African countries reported a total of 308,935 cholera cases, and 7,131 deaths since the start of this year.

Expressing concern over the significant increase in the number of cholera-affected countries, reported cases, and deaths in 2025, Boum also warned over the disease's relatively higher case fatality rate of 2.3 percent when compared to previous years.

The Africa CDC attributed the recurring cholera outbreaks in Africa primarily to insufficient access to clean water and sanitation, further exacerbated by overwhelmed health systems and the presence of multiple public health emergencies.

Cholera, an acute diarrheal disease caused by ingesting contaminated food or water, can lead to severe dehydration and death within hours if untreated.

Continental cholera and mpox response efforts have been compounded by mounting public health emergencies, as Africa reported more than 186 moderate-to-high risk public health emergencies so far in 2025, according to the Africa CDC. ■