WHO declares monkeypox a global health emergency

On Wednesday, August 14, the World Health Organization (OMS) raised the status of the current outbreak of monkeypox (mpox) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to a public health emergency of international concern, noting its expansion to neighboring nations.

The announcement was made by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the WHO, who based his decision on the recommendation of the Emergency Committee, a group of independent experts from around the world charged with evaluating outbreaks with the potential for global impact.

This is the second time in two years that mpox has been identified as an international threat. The most significant outbreak is reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the first cases have been identified in countries including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. On August 1, the Central African Republic reported its own outbreak.

What is an international public health emergency?

The WHO can declare such an emergency for diseases that are “serious, sudden, unusual and unexpected,” thereby facilitating international preventive and control measures.

Diversity of outbreak variants

This outbreak is characterized by the presence of multiple variants of the virus, with different levels of risk and transmission patterns, which two years ago were predominantly sexual.

At a press conference, Tedros stressed the seriousness of the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the alarming fact that the disease has spread to countries that had not previously reported cases, such as Uganda and Kenya.

“A coordinated international response is crucial to control the spread of the outbreak and save lives,” the WHO director stressed.

The Emergency Committee unanimously agreed that the situation constitutes “an extraordinary event”, highlighting the rapid multiplication of cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which had not seen such figures since the 1970s.

To date, the WHO has recorded 14,000 cases and 524 deaths this year, although the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies reports a total of 17,000 cases.

Increase in cases among children

A worrying fact is the increase in cases in children and the high mortality rate in this population, a change compared to the 2022 outbreak, which mainly affected adult men.

Committee members are currently drafting specific recommendations to be submitted to Tedros by the end of the week.

The mpox outbreak in 2022

Between 2022 and 2023, mpox was considered an international health emergency after its spread in Africa and other continents. The alert was deactivated in May 2023, when the spread was controlled and the situation was considered “under control”.

During that period, 87,000 cases were reported in 111 countries, with 140 deaths.

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