The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) following the emergence of a new variant of the mpox virus spreading rapidly across Africa.
This marks the second time in two years that the global health body has issued its highest level of alert for the disease.
The WHO’s Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced on Wednesday, August 15, after the emergency committee convened to assess the escalating situation.
“Today, the emergency committee met and advised me that in its view, the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice,” Tedros told reporters at a news conference. “This is something that should concern us all.”
The current outbreak originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and has now spread to 13 African countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
The outbreak was initially caused by a strain of the virus known as clade I, but a new, more transmissible variant, clade Ib, has been identified and is driving the rapid spread of the disease.
Mpox, which can spread through close contact, typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body. While the disease is generally mild, it can be fatal in rare cases.
The WHO’s PHEIC declaration is expected to accelerate international efforts to contain the outbreak, including research, funding, and the implementation of public health measures across the globe.
“WHO is committed in the days and weeks ahead to coordinate the global response, working closely with each of the affected countries, and leveraging our on-the-ground presence to prevent transmission, treat those infected, and save lives,” Tedros added.
The impact of the outbreak is already being felt across the continent. Earlier this week, Africa’s top public health body, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), declared mpox a continental emergency.
The Africa CDC reported that more than 17,000 suspected mpox cases and 517 deaths have been recorded so far this year, representing a 160 per cent increase in cases compared to the same period last year.
In response to the crisis, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has announced that it is scaling up preparedness measures, particularly in eastern DRC.
The organization expressed “profound concern” about the virus’s spread and emphasized its commitment to playing a “crucial role in containing the spread of the disease, even in the hard-to-reach areas where the need is the greatest.”
This latest outbreak follows a global spread of a different mpox variant, clade IIb, in 2022, which primarily affected men who have sex with men.
That outbreak led to over 90,000 cases and 140 deaths worldwide before the WHO lifted the emergency declaration in May 2023.
