Monkeypox declared global health emergency by WHO as cases surge | Mpox | The Guardian
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency. This announcement came after the detection of a more virulent strain, clade Ib, which has now spread to four previously unaffected countries in Africa. Until recently, this strain was largely confined to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In response to the alarming spread, WHO’s emergency committee convened virtually to advise Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the severity of the situation. Following their consultation, Tedros declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), which is the highest level of alarm under international health law.
“The detection and rapid spread of a new clade of mpox in eastern DRC, its emergence in neighboring countries, and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying,” Tedros stated.
PHEIC status is assigned to “extraordinary events” that pose a public health risk to other countries through international disease spread, potentially requiring a coordinated global response.
Dimie Ogoina, Chair of the emergency committee, emphasized the gravity of the situation: “What we have in Africa is the tip of the iceberg. We are not fully recognizing or understanding the true burden of mpox.”
On Tuesday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention also declared the outbreak a public health emergency of continental security, marking the first such declaration by the agency since its inception in 2017.
Since the start of the year, over 17,000 mpox cases and more than 500 deaths have been reported across 13 African countries, with the DRC accounting for over 14,000 of these cases.
Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that spreads through close contact, including touching, kissing, and sexual activity, as well as through contaminated materials like sheets, clothing, and needles. Symptoms include fever, a painful rash, headache, muscle and back pain, low energy, and enlarged lymph nodes.
While mpox has historically been found in Central and West Africa, it began spreading to Europe and North America in 2022. WHO had declared a global health emergency in July 2022, which was later lifted in May 2023.
Mpox is divided into two genetic clades: I and II. Clade II was responsible for the 2022 outbreak, while clade Ib is known for causing more severe disease. WHO officials have called for international cooperation in combating the outbreak, emphasizing the need for increased surveillance, diagnostics, and research.
To support these efforts, WHO has initiated the Emergency Use Listing process for mpox vaccines and developed a regional response plan requiring $15 million, with $1.5 million already allocated from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies. The DRC and Nigeria will be the first to receive the vaccines, with half a million doses currently in stock and another 2.4 million expected by the end of the year.
“We can stop the transmission of mpox with a concerted effort using multiple approaches,” said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, Director of WHO’s Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention. She stressed the importance of leveraging this opportunity to support research and understand the outbreak better.
#GlobalHealthEmergency #MpoxOutbreak #PublicHealth #AfricaHealth #WHOAlert