Geneva (Web Desk/Agencies) The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared mpox a global public health emergency after several health officials from countries around the world continued to warn about the risk of its spread.
The WHO issued an emergency for mpox virus for the second time in two years, following an outbreak of the viral infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that has spread to neighbouring countries.
An emergency committee of WHO, which is based in Geneva, met early Wednesday to advise WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on whether the disease outbreak constitutes a “public health emergency of international concern,” or PHEIC.
A PHEIC is the highest level of alarm under international health law.
The Who chief called for the meeting last week to seek advice on whether the mpox – previously monkeypox – outbreaks are cause for international concern.
On Tuesday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared the situation a public health emergency.
“The Emergency Committee’s advice to me, and that of the [Africa CDC], which yesterday declared a public health emergency of regional security, are aligned,” Tedros said in a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
Mpox cases have been spreading throughout many countries in Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighbouring Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. The potential for further spread in Africa is worrying, said the WHO chief.
“In addition to other outbreaks of other clades of mpox in other parts of Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” Tedros said.
This year already saw over 14,000 reported cases of the virus with 524 deaths, a significant increase in reported cases from 2023, it was pointed out.
Tedros previously mentioned that the mpox outbreaks have occurred due to different viruses called clades.
At Wednesday’s meeting he said there was transmission of the so-called clade 1b virus in the DRC last year which was caused “mainly through sexual networks.” This clade is reportedly deadlier and more easily transmitted from person to person.
Clade 1 has been circulating in the DRC for years while clade 2 was responsible for the global outbreak of 2022 which was declared an international public health emergency.
Tedros said in the past month that around 90 cases of successor clade 1b were reported in countries neighbouring the DRC which had not reported mpox cases before.
“Stopping these outbreaks will require a tailored and comprehensive response, with communities at the centre, as always,” he said.
The WHO chief said the UN agency is working with governments of the affected countries, the Africa CDC and other partners to “understand and address the drivers of these outbreaks.”
“For example, we are providing machines to analyze blood samples and confirm cases of mpox; We’re supporting laboratories to sequence viral samples,” he said.
Tedros said 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.”