World Health OrganisationDeclares Global Public Health Emergency Over Mpox Surge in Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the escalating mpox outbreak in Africa a global public health emergency, marking the highest alarm level in response to the worsening situation.

The decision follows a meeting of experts who advised WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to issue the declaration.

“Today, the emergency committee met and advised me that, in its view, the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.

I have accepted that advice,” Tedros announced during a press conference, emphasizing the global significance of the outbreak.

The WHO is now focused on coordinating a global response, working closely with affected countries to curb transmission, treat those infected, and save lives. This declaration came after the African Union’s health agency declared a public health emergency over the outbreak.

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, has rapidly spread through the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where it was first identified in humans in 1970 and has since affected neighbouring countries.

Over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths have been reported in the DRC so far this year, already surpassing last year’s totals.

Tedros highlighted the rapid spread of the clade 1b strain, mainly through sexual networks, as a primary concern. In the past month, about 90 cases of this more severe strain have been reported in countries neighbouring the DRC, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, which had not previously reported mpox cases.

The designation of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is the highest alert the WHO can issue, and triggers coordinated emergency responses under the International Health Regulations. This is the second consecutive PHEIC declaration related to mpox, but this time it focuses on the more lethal clade 1b strain.

The previous PHEIC, declared in response to the clade 2b strain in 2022, primarily affected gay and bisexual men, resulting in about 140 deaths out of 90,000 cases worldwide. The current outbreak, concentrated in the DRC, poses a higher risk due to the more severe nature of clade 1b, which has a higher fatality rate.

Mpox is a viral infection transmitted from animals to humans through close physical contact. Fever, muscle aches, and extensive skin lesions characterize the disease. The WHO recommends two vaccines to combat the virus.

Marion Koopmans, director of the Pandemic and Disaster Management Centre at Erasmus University Rotterdam, noted that a PHEIC declaration heightens global awareness and may unlock emergency response funds. However, she cautioned that the DRC and its neighbours face significant challenges due to limited resources.

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has expressed deep concern over the virus’s spread. It is scaling up preparedness measures across Africa, particularly in the heavily impacted eastern DRC. The Red Cross is prepared to play a critical role in containing the disease, even in hard-to-reach areas.

Sola Adeniji

News Reporter, Freelancer, and content creator

See Full Bio