The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa a global public health emergency, the highest level of concern.
This declaration, advised by WHO’s emergency committee, means that emergency measures will be taken under international health regulations.
In the past, a similar declaration was made for mpox in 2022-2023 due to a different strain, which mainly affected gay and bisexual men and led to around 140 deaths out of 90,000 cases.
The current outbreak involves a more severe strain, Clade 1b, which has been spreading rapidly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since September 2023 and has a higher fatality rate.
Mpox spreads through contact with infected animals and human-to-human interaction.
Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and large, boil-like skin lesions. WHO recommends two vaccines to combat mpox.
The emergency status might help secure funding for urgent responses, but challenges remain, especially in areas with limited resources like the DRC.
The Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are increasing their efforts to respond to the crisis.
Since 2009, similar global emergencies have been declared for H1N1, poliovirus, Ebola, Zika virus, Covid-19, and mpox.
