WHO Chief Considers Declaring Emergency for Mpox Outbreak

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) is thinking about calling an expert committee to decide if the rising mpox outbreak in Africa should be declared an international emergency.

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Increasing Response to Mpox

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the UN health agency, along with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and other partners, is stepping up efforts to tackle the outbreak. He shared this update on social media platform X.

“As a deadlier strain of mpox spreads to multiple African countries, WHO, Africa CDC, local governments, and partners are further scaling up the response to interrupt disease transmission,” Tedros said. “But more funding and support for a comprehensive response are needed.”

Considering an International Emergency

Tedros mentioned that he might convene an International Health Regulations (IHR) emergency committee to advise him on whether the mpox outbreak should be declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). A PHEIC is the highest alert level the WHO can issue, and Tedros has the authority to declare such an emergency based on the committee’s advice. The IHR is a legally-binding framework for managing public health emergencies.

Understanding Mpox

Formerly known as monkeypox, mpox is an infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals. It can also spread from person to person through close physical contact. Mpox was first identified in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Previous Global Mpox Outbreak

Two years ago, a global outbreak of mpox led the WHO to declare a PHEIC, which remained in effect from July 2022 to May 2023.

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References:

• World Health Organization (WHO) Updates on Mpox.
• Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
• International Health Regulations (IHR).