Victor EzejaThe World Health Organization (WHO) has declared mpox outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern.
WHO Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who announced it on Thursday, said the disease has potential to further spread both within Africa and beyond, hence the need for a coordinated international response to combat it.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe WHO Director-General said the declaration was on the advice of independent experts of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee, which met to deliberate on the mpox outbreak.
This followed the declaration of mpox as a public health emergency of continental Security in Africa by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Tuesday.
Prime Business Africa recalls that between May 2022 and July 2023, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
“The emergence of a new strain of the mpox virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its rapid spread, including to neighbouring countries, is one of the main reasons for the declaration of the PHEIC, the second such determination in two years relating to the disease,” WHO said in a statement on Thursday, 15th August.
What is Mpox?
Mpox, a disease caused by Monkey pox virus, has spread in some parts of Africa. The virus can be transmitted to humans through physical contact with an infectious person, contaminated materials, or infected animals. The common symptoms according to WHO, include a skin rash or mucosal lesions lasting 2–4 weeks, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes
With the Democratic Republic of Congo (which recorded the initial outbreak) being hit the most, the disease has spread to not less than 13 countries in central and east Africa including Burundi, the Central African Republic, Kenya and Rwanda.
READ ALSO: Africa CDC Officially Declares Mpox Public Health Emergency
According to reports, scientists have expressed concerns that the disease has a new variant that spreads fast and has a high fatality rate.
According to Africa CDC, there are 2,863 confirmed cases and 517 deaths related to Mpox outbreaks reported so far in 2024. It also said suspected cases across the continent have surpassed 17,000, a significant increase from 7,146 cases in 2022 and 14,957 cases in 2023.
Explaining the reason for declaring mpox a public health emergency, Africa CDC Director General, Jean Kaseya, said the measure helps in mobilizing stakeholders, institutions and resources to fight the disease.
He called for international support to Africa in fighting the disease.
WHO said it is increasing support to the affected countries by deploying additional experts, including epidemiologists and anthropologists, and providing initial funding to accelerate outbreak response measures. “Efforts are underway to enhance cross-border collaboration for case investigation, contact tracing and community engagement to ensure compliance with preventive measures,” it added.
The European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority has pledged to donate 215,000 doses of mpox vaccines to Africa CDC for distribution to areas of need.
Sweden Records First Case of Mpox
Meanwhile, Sweden has recorded first case of the latest variant that is considered more contagious.
Olivia Wigzell, Director-General at the Swedish public health agency, who made this known at a press conference, said the person got infected during a visit to a part of Africa that has recorded a major outbreak of the disease.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
