On July 27, 2022, a woman held a syringe containing monkeypox vaccine at the vaccination center in Edison, Paris, France.
Alain Chaucard | Pool | Reuters
The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared MPOX a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, after an outbreak of viral infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo spread to neighboring countries.
Earlier on Wednesday, an emergency committee met to make recommendations to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on whether the outbreak constituted a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC).
PHEIC status is WHO’s highest alert level and is designed to accelerate research, funding and international public health measures and cooperation to contain the disease.
“It is clear that a coordinated international response is critical to stopping the outbreak and saving lives,” Tedros said.
Mpox can be spread through close contact. Usually mild, in rare cases fatal. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.
The outbreak in Congo began with the spread of an endemic strain called clade I.
It has spread from Congo to neighboring countries including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, triggering action by the World Health Organization.
Tedros added: “The discovery of a new branch of MPOX spreading rapidly in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, its detection in neighboring countries where MPOX has not been previously reported, and the potential for further spread within and outside Africa is very concerning. “
Tedros said on Wednesday that the WHO had released $1.5 million in emergency funding and planned to release more in the coming days. The WHO’s response plan will initially require $15 million, and the agency plans to appeal to donors for funding.
Earlier this week, Africa Top public health institutions The MPOX state of emergency was declared on the continent after warnings that the viral infection was spreading at an alarming rate, with more than 17,000 suspected cases and more than 500 deaths this year, mainly among Congolese children.
Professor Dimi Ogoina, chair of the WHO’s measles emergency committee, said all members agreed that the current surge in cases was an “extraordinary event” and that Congo had recorded a record number of cases.
When another strain of MPOX spread around the world, mostly among men who have sex with men, vaccines and behavioral changes helped stop the spread, and the World Health Organization declared a state of emergency in 2022.
The World Health Organization said transmission routes in Congo require further study. There is currently no vaccine available, although efforts are underway to change that and identify the best groups to target. The agency also called on countries with vaccine stocks to donate vaccines.
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