Aug 14, 2024 – The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared the mpox virus a global health emergency due to a worsening outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other parts of Africa.
At an emergency mpox committee meeting, the WHO designated the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, what the organization describes as "an extraordinary event which is determined to constitute a public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response."
The announcement comes amid a new and more dangerous strain of the mpox virus, referred to as clade Ib, that has been identified in Congo. WHO and other health experts say that this strain is more concerning because it is more easily spread and more severe. Unlike previous strains that primarily spread through sexual contact, particularly among men who have sex with men, this new variant can spread more easily through close skin-to-skin contact, including within families and among children. Recently, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared mpox a public health emergency, noting that since the beginning of the year, there have been over 17,000 documented cases and 500 deaths in 13 African countries so far. An estimated 96% of all cases and deaths are in Congo, The Associated Press reported.
The declaration marks the second time in 2 years that the WHO has declared mpox a global health emergency, last doing so in July 2022. At that time, the declaration was in response to the rapid spread of mpox outside of its traditional endemic regions in Central and West Africa. The outbreak had expanded into multiple countries, particularly in Europe and North America, with the majority of cases being reported among men who have sex with men.
Mpox is a highly contagious disease in the same family of viruses that cause smallpox. It is very easily spread between humans, particularly through bodily fluids and things like kissing, sex, or touching infected areas, according to the CDC. The virus can also spread through air droplets or through items that have made contact with infected body fluids, such as bed sheets. Mpox can also spread from animals to people, specifically if an infected animal bites or scratches you.
People with mpox usually develop a painful rash around the genitals, anus, or other areas of the body. The rash often blisters or scabs before healing. Some people also experience fever or flu-like symptoms. Historically, those most at risk of getting seriously ill or dying from the virus are those with weakened immune systems, young children, pregnant women, older adults, and unvaccinated people.
"Mpox has now crossed borders, affecting thousands across our continent, families have been torn apart and the pain and suffering have touched every corner of our continent," said Jean Kaseya, MD, the director general of the Africa CDC, during an online media briefing. "This declaration is not merely a formality, it is a call to action. It is a recognition that we can no longer afford to be reactive. We must be proactive and aggressive in our efforts to contain and eliminate this threat."
While there is a vaccine for mpox, the African continent has very limited access to doses. Kaseya stated that a plan is in place to secure 3 million doses of the mpox vaccine before the end of the year.