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Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), has declared the epidemic of mpox (previously known as monkeypox) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of African nations to be a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).
According to a WHO statement issued yesterday, Dr Tedros' declaration was based on the opinion of an IHR Emergency Committee of independent experts who evaluated evidence submitted by WHO experts and affected nations.
The committee told the Director-General that it considered the mpox outbreak to be a PHEIC, with the potential to spread across African countries and possibly beyond.
Dr. Tedros stated, "The discovery of a new lineage of mpox, its quick dissemination in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in multiple neighboring countries are quite concerning. In addition to outbreaks of additional mpox clades in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries, it is evident that a coordinated international response is required to end these epidemics and save lives."
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, stated that "significant efforts are already underway in collaboration with communities and governments to combat mpox." With the virus's spread, we are increasing our efforts through coordinated worldwide action to assist countries in bringing outbreaks to a stop."
Mpox has been documented in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for over a decade. The number of cases recorded this year has surpassed last year's total, with almost 15,600 cases and 537 deaths.
