Zambia records its first mpox-related death and 31 confirmed cases

Zambia announced its first mpox-related death on Thursday, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases in the southern African country to 31.

Health Minister Elijah Muchima said the victim was an eight-month-old infant who died in a health facility in the capital, Lusaka. “A thorough assessment was carried out to determine the cause of death, concluding that the child, suffering from mpox, had developed complex pneumonia,” he told a press briefing.

According to Muchima, seven new cases of mpox have been recorded in the past week: three in Copperbelt province, two in the north of the country and two in Lusaka, bringing the total number of infections to 31.

Zambia detected its first case of mpox last October.