On Wednesday, August 14, the World Health Organization declared the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency.
The WHO’s emergency mpox committee was convened in response to concerns that a more virulent strain of the virus, clade Ib, had spread to four new areas in Africa, previously unaffected by this strain, which had been contained within the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Following consultations with independent experts, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that the situation has been classified as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), the highest level of alert under international health regulations.
A PHEIC is designated by the WHO for “extraordinary events” that present a risk to public health across borders and may necessitate a coordinated international response.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention also declared the outbreak a public health emergency of continental security on Tuesday, marking the first such declaration since the agency’s establishment in 2017.
As of early this year, over 17,000 cases and more than 500 deaths have been reported across 13 African countries, with the highest number of cases—over 14,000—occurring in the DRC. The outbreak is classified as a “very high-risk event” by the Africa CDC.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that spreads easily between people and from infected animals. Transmission can occur through close contact such as touching, kissing, or sexual activity, as well as through contaminated materials like sheets, clothing, and needles.
Symptoms include fever, a painful rash, headache, muscle and back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.
