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Rabat – The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the recent upsurge of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and several neighboring African countries as a “public health emergency of international concern (PHIOC).” This marks the second such declaration from WHO in two years.
The statement came one day after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared monkeypox a “public health emergency of continental security.”
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement following recommendations from an Emergency Committee of independent experts. The decision was driven by the rapid spread of a new clade of the mpox virus in eastern DRC and its further detection in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. Alarmingly, the latter are countries where mpox had not been reported previously.
Tedros emphasized in the WHO statement the need for a coordinated international response to halt the spread of the virus, which has been increasingly reported in the DRC over the past decade. This year alone, more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths have been recorded, surpassing last year’s total.
“The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighboring countries are very worrying,” he warned.
Read also: Monkeypox: Morocco Sets in Motion Detection and Response Mechanism
The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, echoed these concerns, stating that efforts are already underway to curb the spread of the virus. She highlighted the collaboration with governments and communities in the affected regions.
Professor Dimie Ogoina, Chair of the Emergency Committee, also emphasized the global significance of the outbreak, citing the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain of the virus as a particular concern. Ogoina cautioned that this poses an emergency “not only for Africa, but for the entire globe.”
In response to the emergency, WHO has also accelerated the process for the Emergency Use Listing (EUL) of mpox vaccines. Last week, manufacturers were invited to submit their vaccines for emergency evaluation to expedite access, particularly in lower-income countries that have yet to approve the vaccines through their own national regulatory bodies. The EUL will allow global partners, including Gavi and UNICEF, to procure and distribute vaccines more efficiently.
WHO anticipates an immediate funding requirement of $15 million to support surveillance, preparedness, and response activities. The organization has already released $1.45 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies and may need to release more funds in the coming days.
Emerging methods of Mpox transmission
In a recent statement to the local press on the news, Moroccan Doctor Tayeb Hamdi highlighted several critical concerns regarding the spread and impact of monkeypox. He noted a troubling increase in cases across multiple African countries, with the virus now affecting nations that were previously not endemic to it.
The rapid and widespread transmission is compounded by the virus’s potential for increased mutations, particularly within the new “Clade 1b strain,” which has been observed to spread more easily and affect a broader range of individuals. The doctor added that among those at risk include both those having sex in heterosexual and homosexual couplings.
“It currently affects people who have sexual relations between men and women. It has affected schools, children who are not sexually active, and families. Therefore, it is not only sexual contact that is a factor; the virus can also spread through direct skin-to-skin contact, close contact, and contaminated objects,” Hamdi explained to the Moroccan press.
The doctor also pointed out that the current strain of monkeypox is more lethal than earlier versions, with an estimated mortality rate of 3%.
He added that symptoms now present more broadly across the body, including severe skin lesions resembling those of human smallpox, which adds to the challenge of diagnosis and treatment.
The urgency of the situation is amplified by the virus’s spread into urban areas with major transportation hubs, which could facilitate global dissemination if not effectively managed, Hamdo warned. Hamdi further emphasized the need for international solidarity, increased funding, and enhanced public health measures to control the outbreak and prevent further global spread.
