Global Health Alert: WHO Declares) Mpox a Public Health Emergency

By Daniel Okejeme with additional agency report

The World Health Organisation(WHO) says the Mpox upsurge has continued to meet the criteria of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) set forth in the International Health Regulations (IHR).

WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, said the announcement followed the fourth meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of mpox, which was held on June 5.

According to him, the committee, recognising progress in the capacity to respond in certain countries, advised the WHO Director-General that the event continues to constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

He said this was based on the continuing rise in the number of cases, including a recent increase in West Africa, and likely ongoing undetected transmission in some countries beyond the African continent.

He said: “Ongoing operational challenges in responding to the event, including concerning surveillance and diagnostics, as well as a lack of funding, make prioritising response interventions challenging and require continued international support.”

Ghebreyesus concurred with the committee’s advice and issued the committee’s revised temporary recommendations to member states experiencing Mpox outbreaks.

He said the recommendations would guide countries’ efforts to prevent and control the spread of the disease.

According to him, the full report of the fourth meeting would be published in the third week of June.

He said: “The upsurge of Mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its spread to neighbouring countries was first determined to be PHEIC by Ghebreyesus on Aug. 14, 2024.

“Since then, the committee has met on three additional occasions, each time advising the director general that the event continues to constitute a PHEIC.”

Persecondnews recalls that Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) is a viral disease that was first identified in 1958 in laboratory monkeys.

The first human case was reported in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can spread between animals and humans, and is typically found in central and west Africa.

Outbreaks have occurred sporadically, and in 2022, a global outbreak led to increased awareness and concern.