WHO declares mpox emergency as Congo outbreak spreads

By Ezekiel David

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared mpox a global public health emergency following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that has spread to neighbouring countries. The decision, marking the second such declaration in two years, was made after an emergency committee advised WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to issue the highest-level alert to boost global response efforts.

The outbreak, originating from Congo’s endemic clade I strain, has seen a new, more easily transmissible variant, clade Ib, spread to Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. Mpox, typically mild but sometimes fatal, causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions.

WHO has released $1.5 million in emergency funds and plans to request $15 million more to contain the outbreak. Africa’s health authorities have also declared an emergency, noting over 17,000 suspected cases and 500 deaths this year, primarily among children in the DRC.

The WHO is investigating transmission routes in Congo, with no vaccines currently available. Efforts to develop and distribute vaccines are underway, with calls for donations from countries with stockpiles.

In 2022, a different mpox strain led to a global emergency, controlled through vaccines and behaviour changes. WHO is now focusing on strategies to combat the current outbreak.

(Source: Reuters)