The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in response to a new variant of the mpox virus spreading in Africa. This marks the second time in two years that the organization has issued such an alert for the disease.
The WHO announced that mpox cases have been identified in 13 African countries, with the new strain spreading rapidly. The declaration follows an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that has since expanded to neighboring nations.
“the emergency committee convened and advised me that the situation meets the criteria for a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice,” stated WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a news conference. He emphasized the gravity of the situation, calling for a coordinated global response to prevent further transmission, treat those infected, and save lives.
The PHEIC designation is expected to accelerate research, funding, and international public health efforts to contain the disease. It also triggers emergency responses worldwide under the legally binding International Health Regulations.
Mpox, typically mild but potentially fatal, spreads through close contact and causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body. The outbreak in the DRC began with the clade I strain, but a more easily transmissible variant, clade Ib, is now spreading, with cases detected in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Earlier this week, Africa’s leading public health agency declared an mpox emergency for the continent, noting a 160% increase in cases compared to the same period last year. So far in 2023, more than 17,000 suspected cases and 517 deaths have been reported across Africa.
Said Ngashi Ngongo, chief of staff at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, revealed that an agreement has been reached with the European Union’s health task force and mpox vaccine manufacturer Bavarian Nordic to supply Africa with an initial 215,000 doses of the vaccine. Negotiations are ongoing to secure two million doses by the end of the year and ten million by the end of 2025.
To raise awareness, Ngongo mentioned plans to saturate media channels, including television, radio, and social media, to ensure the public is informed, particularly targeting young people under 18, who represent a significant portion of cases.
The recent alert comes after a different variant of the mpox virus, clade IIb, spread globally in 2022, predominantly through sexual contact among men who have sex with men. The WHO declared a public health emergency from July 2022 to May 2023 in response to that outbreak, which resulted in around 90,000 cases and 140 deaths.
In light of the current outbreak, the Red Cross has intensified preparedness measures across Africa, particularly in the eastern DRC. The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies expressed deep concern over the virus’s spread and pledged to play a crucial role in containment efforts, even in the most challenging and hard-to-reach areas.
