WHO Declares Mpox Surge in Africa a Public Health Emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the escalating mpox outbreak in Africa a global public health emergency, signaling the highest level of international concern. The announcement was made on Wednesday following an emergency committee meeting convened by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who accepted the recommendation from experts.

WHO Director-General Tedros during a past event.

"Today, the emergency committee met and advised me that the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice," Tedros stated during a press conference, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. "This is something that should concern us all."

The WHO is set to coordinate a global response in collaboration with affected countries, aiming to halt transmission, treat those infected, and save lives. This decision comes on the heels of a similar declaration by the African Union’s health watchdog, underscoring the gravity of the situation.

Mpox Outbreak: A Worsening Crisis

The mpox virus, previously known as monkeypox, has taken a severe toll in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where it was first identified in humans in 1970. Since the beginning of this year, over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths have been reported in the DRC, surpassing the total cases from last year. The virus has also spread to neighboring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, all of which had no previous history of mpox cases.

"The emergence and rapid spread of clade 1b in DRC, mainly through sexual networks, and its detection in neighboring countries, is particularly concerning," Tedros explained. "This is one of the key reasons behind my decision to convene this emergency committee."

What a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) Means

A PHEIC declaration is the WHO's highest alert level, triggering emergency responses globally under the legally binding International Health Regulations. This is the second PHEIC declaration related to mpox, following a previous one in May 2022, which primarily affected gay and bisexual men due to the clade 2b subclade. That outbreak, now largely under control, resulted in approximately 140 deaths from around 90,000 cases.

The current surge involves the clade 1b subclade, which has been spreading in the DRC since September 2023. This strain of the virus is more severe, with a higher fatality rate compared to the previous one.

Global Response and Challenges

Marion Koopmans, director of the Pandemic and Disaster Management Centre at Erasmus University Rotterdam, highlighted that a PHEIC declaration "raises the level of alert globally and may allow WHO to access funds for emergency response." However, she cautioned that the challenge remains in investing in diagnostic capacity, public health response, treatment support, and vaccination, particularly in resource-limited regions like the DRC and its neighboring countries.

At the global level, despite the available resources and basic public health infrastructure, the international outbreak that began in 2022 was not effectively contained.

The Red Cross is also scaling up its preparedness measures across Africa, focusing on the heavily affected eastern DRC. The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies expressed "profound concern" over the spread of the virus. It emphasized its readiness to play a critical role in containment efforts, especially in hard-to-reach areas where the need is greatest.

A Call to Action

As the world grapples with yet another public health emergency, the WHO’s declaration serves as a stark reminder of the interconnectedness of global health. Coordinated efforts, sufficient resources, and swift action will be crucial in preventing the further spread of the virus and mitigating its impact on affected communities.