WHO declares mpox public health emergency of international concern

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared mpox a “public health emergency of international concern”.

The declaration comes a day after the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) declared mpox a “public health emergency of continental security”.

It is the second time in two years that the WHO has declared mpox a global emergency.

Last week, Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general (DG), said he was convening an emergency committee under the international health regulations to evaluate the upsurge of mpox in Congo and other African countries.

Speaking during an online press briefing on Wednesday, Ghebreyesus said the emergency committee met and advised that the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.

“I have accepted that advice,” the WHO DG said.

Over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths, mostly from a new variant clade 1b, have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since the beginning of the year.

The virus has also spread to other African countries, including Burundi, Kenya, and Rwanda, particularly among children.

The WHO DG said the rapid spread of the new mpox clade in eastern Congo, the detection in neighbouring countries that had not previously reported any cases, and the potential for further outbreaks within Africa and beyond are “very worrying”.

“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,” he said.

“A public health emergency of international concern is the highest level of alarm under international health law.

“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.

“WHO is on the ground, working with the affected countries and others at risk through our country and regional offices, as well as with partners including the Africa CDC, NGOs, civil society, and more.

“For example, we are providing machines to analyze blood samples and confirm cases of mpox; we’re supporting laboratories to sequence viral samples; we’re on the ground supporting case investigation and contact tracing, risk communication, and community engagement; we’re training health workers and supporting clinicians to provide appropriate care; we’re supporting countries to access vaccines and develop the strategies to roll them out; and much more.

“To fund this work, WHO has developed a regional response plan, requiring an initial $15 million. We have released $1.45 million from the WHO contingency fund for emergencies, and we plan to release more in the coming days. We are also appealing to donors to fund the rest of the response plan.

“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.”