The World Health Organization, WHO, on Wednesday, declared the mpox surge in Africa was now a global public health emergency, sounding its highest possible alarm over the worsening situation.
The WHO called a meeting of experts to study the outbreak and make a recommendation to the UN health agency’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Tedros told a press conference.“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,”
“This is something that should concern us all.
“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.”
The decision comes after the African Union’s health watchdog declared a public health emergency due to the expanding outbreak.
Mpox has spread throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the virus formerly known as monkeypox was found in people in 1970, and to neighboring countries.
Tedros stated that the more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths reported so far this year in DR Congo have already surpassed previous year’s total.
“The emergence last year and rapid spread of clade 1b in DRC, which appears to be spreading mainly through sexual networks, and its detection in countries neighboring DRC is especially concerning, and one of the main reasons for my decision to convene this emergency committee,” he said in opening the emergency committee meeting.
