BY STAFF REPORTER
In a move to combat the growing mpox outbreak in Africa, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has declared the situation a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
The declaration comes after an Emergency Committee of independent experts met to review data on the outbreak, which has affected several countries in Africa, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
“The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries are very worrying. On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.”Ghebreyesus said.
According to WHO, the outbreak has resulted in over 15 600 cases and 537 deaths, with the number of cases increasing steadily over the past year.
The emergence of a new virus strain, clade 1b, which appears to be spreading mainly through sexual networks, has particularly concerned experts.
WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti said significant efforts are already underway to curb the outbreak, with country teams working closely with communities and governments to reinforce measures.
The organization is scaling up its response through coordinated international action to support countries in bringing the outbreaks to an end.
Committee Chair Professor Dimie Ogoina emphasized that the current upsurge of mpox in Africa is not only an emergency for the continent but also for the entire globe.
WHO has released $1.45 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support surveillance, preparedness, and response activities and is appealing to donors to fund the full extent of needs for the mpox response.