WHO Declares Mpox Global Health Emergency
The WHO declared the mpox outbreak in Africa a public health emergency, with over 450 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo and concerns over the new Clade 1b variant.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the mpox outbreak in parts of Africa a public health emergency of international concern due to its rapid spread and high fatality rate. The outbreak, primarily affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo, has resulted in at least 450 deaths among over 13,700 reported cases this year. The current strain, Clade 1, is more deadly than the previously circulating Clade 2, with a mortality rate of up to 10%. The emergence of a new variant, Clade 1b, has raised alarms among scientists, prompting calls for a coordinated international response to contain the outbreak. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the need for immediate action to prevent further spread within Africa and beyond. The disease is transmitted through close contact, including sexual activity and respiratory droplets, and can cause severe symptoms such as flu-like illness and skin lesions. Experts believe that the declaration will facilitate research, funding, and the implementation of public health measures. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has also declared a public health emergency, warning that without proactive measures, the outbreak could escalate uncontrollably.
- WHO has declared mpox a public health emergency due to its rapid spread in Africa.
- The outbreak has resulted in over 450 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- The current Clade 1 strain is more lethal than the previous Clade 2 strain.
- A new variant, Clade 1b, has emerged, raising concerns among scientists.
- Coordinated international efforts are deemed essential to contain the outbreak.
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5 commentsJuly 2022, https://www.science.org/content/article/declaring-monkeypox-...
The World Health Organization (WHO) today declared the global spread of monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), even though a special advisory committee again declined to recommend the action. This is the first time since the PHEIC system was created in 2005 that the agency has made such a declaration without the panel’s endorsement. “This is big, unprecedented decision-making by the director general,” says Clare Wenham, a global health expert at the London School of Economics who has studied the history of PHEICs.
World Health Assembly, the annual meeting of its 194 member countries, today agreed a package of critical amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR), and made concrete commitments to completing negotiations on a global pandemic agreement within a year, at the latest, and possibly in 2024. These critical actions have been taken in order to ensure comprehensive, robust systems are in place in all countries to protect the health and safety of all people everywhere from the risk of future outbreaks and pandemics.From the guidelines:
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