Geneva, Aug 15: The World Health Organization (WHO) has once again declared monkeypox a global health emergency, marking the second such declaration in two years. This decision follows the rapid spread of a new, highly contagious strain of the virus in Africa. The classification was made after an International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee meeting, which assessed data from WHO experts and representatives from affected countries.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed grave concern, stating, “The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighboring 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.”
Dr. Dimie Ogoina, Chair of the committee, emphasized the severity of the situation, saying, “What we have in Africa is the tip of the iceberg. We are not recognizing, or we don’t have the full picture of, this burden of mpox.”
The WHO is preparing to issue temporary recommendations to the affected countries, with the scenario being designated as a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” (PHEIC), the highest level of alert. This marks the second time in two years that such extreme measures have been taken, underscoring the critical nature of the outbreak. The new variant, previously confined to the Democratic Republic of Congo, has now spread across Africa.
Last week, Africa’s top health body declared the monkeypox outbreak an emergency as cases surged by 160% compared to last year, with over 17,000 cases and 517 deaths reported so far in 2024. The new strain, labeled Ib, is spreading rapidly, particularly through close contact, including sexual transmission.
Dr. Ogoina highlighted the global implications, stating, “The current upsurge of mpox in parts of Africa, along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain of the monkeypox virus, is an emergency, not only for Africa but for the entire globe. Mpox, originating in Africa, was neglected there, and later caused a global outbreak in 2022. It is time to act decisively to prevent history from repeating itself.”
Monkeypox, also known as mpox, causes fever, an itchy rash, headache, muscle and back pain, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. While historically concentrated in Central and West Africa, the virus spread to Europe and North America in 2022, leading to the first global health emergency.