Namibia has declared a national mpox outbreak following confirmation of its first case in the coastal city of Swakopmund.
Health and Social Services Minister Esperance Luvindao confirmed that the patient is receiving treatment in isolation at a District Hospital and is in stable condition.

A preliminary investigation linked the case to a recent cross-border travel within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Within the SADC region, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia have all registered cases.

Namibia’s health authorities have activated a public health emergency response, mobilising resources and initiating contact tracing in the Erongo Region where Swakopmund is located.

Mpox, a zoonotic disease formerly known as monkeypox, has seen a resurgence across Africa in recent years, with active outbreaks currently reported in 17 countries.