WHO declares mpox a global public health emergency amid vaccine delays

Mpox outbreak has been declared a public emergency in globally amid escalating spread in Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries.

The virus which can cause lesions across the whole body, has been reported in Burundi, the Central African Republic (CAR), Kenya and Rwanda.

It can spread through close contact. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms.

Over 13,700 cases and 450 deaths have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the start of the year.

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared the public health emergency on Tuesday.

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On Wednesday the World Health Organization also declared it a global public health emergency for the second time in two years.

An emergency committee met earlier on Wednesday to advise WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on whether the disease outbreak constitutes a “public health emergency of international concern,” or PHEIC.

“It’s clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” said Tedros.

Many scientists in the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) were alarmed by the speed of spread.

The latest outbreak is of a new strain of mpox, the scientists have said. This is the first time such a continental alert has been made.

“The detection and rapid spread of a new clade of mpox in eastern DRC, its detection in neighbouring countries that had not previously reported mpox, and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying,” Tedros added.

But vaccines to help curb the escalation in spread are yet to reach affected countries.

Africa CDC director general Jean Kaseya said on Tuesday that there was a plan to secure 3 million doses of vaccine this year.

“This declaration is not merely a formality. It is a clarion call to action. It is a recognition that we can no longer afford to be reactive. We must be proactive and aggressive in our efforts to contain and eliminate this threat,” he said.

The centre has also been granted $10.4 million in emergency funding from the Africa Union for its mpox response.

In 2022, a milder version of the current virus triggered a global spread emergency before ending it10 months later.

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Source: Africafeeds.com