WHO Declares Mpox A Global Public Health Emergency

The World Health Organization issued a high-level alert regarding the deteriorating circumstances on Wednesday, announcing that the mpox outbreak in Africa has become a worldwide public health emergency.

In order to investigate the outbreak and provide a recommendation to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the UN health agency, the WHO convened a conference of specialists.

“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 told a press conference.

“This is something that should concern us all.

“WHO is committed in the days and weeks ahead to coordinate the global response, working closely with each of the affected countries, and leveraging our on-the-ground presence, to prevent transmission, treat those infected, and save lives.”

Following the declaration of its own public health emergency due to the expanding outbreak, the health watchdog of the African Union made the decision.

The virus, formerly known as monkeypox, was first identified in people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970. From there, it spread to other nations.

According to Tedros, the DR Congo has had more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths so far this year.

“The emergence last year and rapid spread of clade 1b in DRC, which appears to be spreading mainly through sexual networks, and its detection in countries neighbouring DRC is especially concerning, and one of the main reasons for my decision to convene this emergency committee,” he said in opening the emergency committee meeting.

“In the past month, about 90 cases of clade 1b have been reported in four countries neighbouring the DRC that have not reported mpox before: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.”

Mpox is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and other animals. Symptoms include a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. The illness is usually mild, and most of those infected will recover within a few weeks without treatment. 

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