The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency. This decision comes after concerns that a deadlier strain of the virus, clade Ib, has spread to four previously unaffected countries in Africa, beyond its initial containment in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
During a virtual meeting, WHO's emergency committee advised Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the severity of the outbreak, leading to the declaration of a public health emergency of international concern - the highest level of alarm under international health law.
Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that can spread easily between people and from infected animals through close contact and contaminated materials. Symptoms include fever, rash, headache, and muscle pain.
Since the beginning of the year, over 17,000 mpox cases and more than 500 deaths have been reported in 13 African countries, with the Democratic Republic of Congo being the most affected. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified the outbreak as a 'very high risk event.'
The outbreak has prompted the Africa CDC to declare it a public health emergency of continental security, the first such declaration since its inception in 2017. The WHO has initiated the Emergency Use Listing process for mpox vaccines and developed a regional response plan requiring $15 million in funding.
While half a million vaccine doses are currently available, efforts are underway to produce an additional 2.4 million doses by the end of the year. The WHO emphasizes that containing the spread of mpox will require a coordinated international response, including increased surveillance, diagnostics, and research.
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, director of WHO's Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, highlighted the importance of leveraging this time to support member states in conducting necessary research to understand the outbreak better.
