This is the second time in two years that this infectious disease is considered to be able to become an international health threatan alert that was initially lifted in May 2023 after its spread was contained and the situation was deemed to be under control. In that outbreak, cases reached Europe and North America.
“The emergency committee met today and informed me that, in its opinion, the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international scope. I accepted that recommendation.“said the director general of the UN health agency, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The WHO said that this time The outbreaks are not a consequence of the circulation of the same variant of the virusbut more than one, and different levels of risk and contagion have also been observed, while two years ago transmission was almost exclusively sexual.
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“It is a situation that should concern us all.“he added during a press conference. The head of the WHO is the only one who can declare such an emergency, on the advice of a committee of experts.
The 15 members of this committee considered that the criteria for declaring an international public health emergency were metexplained the group’s president, Dimie Ogoina.
In 2022, the UN body made a similar decision when there was a global outbreak of mpox caused by a strain known as clade IIbThe current epidemic originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and is currently limited to Africa, has its own characteristics.
The virus, more contagious and dangerous, is caused by the clade I y an even more dangerous variant, the clade Ib. SThe mortality rate is estimated at 3.6%.
Today, the Emergency Committee on #mpox met and advised me that in its view, the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice.@WHO is on the ground, working with the affected countries, and others at risk, through our…
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 14, 2024
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The African Union’s health agency declared a “public health emergency” on Tuesday, August 13, its highest alert level, in response to the growing mpox epidemic on the continent.
A total of 38,465 cases were recorded in 16 African countries since January 2022, with 1,456 deaths.
In addition, a 160% increase in cases in 2024 compared to 2023, according to data published last week by Africa CDC.
“We are facing several epidemics with different clados in different countries, with different modes of transmission and different levels of risk,” Tedros warned.
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“It won’t be easy”
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that It spreads from animals to humansbut it is also transmitted by close physical contact with a person infected with the virus.
He clade Ib cause skin rashes all over the bodywhile previous strains were characterized by localized rashes and lesions on the mouth, face, or genitals.
Mpox was first discovered in humans in 1970 in present-day DRC (formerly Zaire), with the spread of a subtype clade I and it was regularly infected by contact with animals.
Declare maximum alert worldwide “may allow WHO to access funds for emergency responses“explained Arion Koopmans, a professor at the Dutch Erasmus University in Rotterdam.
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“Otherwise, the same priorities remain: Invest in diagnostic capacityin the public health response, treatment support and vaccination. This will not be easy,” he added.
The WHO has received notification of 14 thousand cases and 524 deaths in 2024, although the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the International Red Crescent Society (IFRC) has reported that cases have risen to 17,000.
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