On Wednesday, the World Health Organization’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced plans to assemble an expert panel to assess whether the escalating spread of the mpox virus in Africa should be classified as a global emergency.
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WHO
At a press briefing in Geneva, Tedros explained that, due to the growing number of mpox cases beyond the Democratic Republic of Congo, he is seeking urgent advice from independent experts.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week that mpox, also known as monkeypox, has now been detected in ten African countries this year, including Congo, which accounts for over 96% of all reported cases and deaths. Compared to the same period last year, cases have surged by 160%, and deaths have increased by 19%.
Nearly 70% of the cases in Congo involve children under 15, who also represent 85% of the deaths. Mpox has recently been identified in Burundi and Rwanda for the first time, with additional cases reported in Kenya and the Central African Republic.
Tedros stated that the WHO has allocated $1 million from its emergency fund to bolster the response to mpox.
Earlier this year, researchers identified a new, more virulent strain of mpox in a Congolese mining town, which has a higher fatality rate and could potentially spread more easily. Mpox is transmitted through close contact with infected individuals, including through sexual contact.
In 2022, the WHO declared mpox a global emergency after it spread to over 70 countries, predominantly affecting gay and bisexual men. Prior to this outbreak, mpox was primarily seen in sporadic epidemics in central and West Africa, often linked to contact with infected animals.
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