WHO declares mpox a public health emergency: Could it become a pandemic?

Listen to Story The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the recent surge in mpox cases spreading to 116 countries as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This PHEIC declaration is the second in two years related to mpox. This declaration, made by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was followed by the advice of an International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee, composed of independent experts who reviewed data presented by WHO and affected countries.

The Committee concluded that the rapid spread of mpox , especially the new clade 1b strain in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring countries, "necessitates an urgent and coordinated international response." The upsurge of mpox, particularly the sexually transmissible strain of clade 1b, is causing alarm among health experts. Professor Dimie Ogoina, Chair of the IHR Emergency Committee, stressed the urgency of the situation, stating, "The current upsurge of mpox in parts of Africa is an emergency, not only for Africa but for the entire globe.

It is time to act decisively to prevent history from repeating itself." The disease, caused by an Orthopoxvirus, was first detected in humans in 1970 in the DRC and is endemic to central and west African countries. Last year, mpox cases surged in the DRC, with more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths reported.

The rapid spread of clade 1b, particularly through sexual transmission , has led to its detection in neighb.