WHO declares Mpox as global health emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) Thursday declared Monkey Pox (Mpox) as global health emergency, which it said was an international concern. WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has determined that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR), read a report from the WHO. Dr Tedros’s declaration came on the advice of an IHR Emergency Committee of independent experts who met earlier in the day to review data presented by experts from WHO and affected countries.

The Committee informed the Director-General that it considers the upsurge of mpox to be a PHEIC, with potential to spread further across countries in Africa and possibly outside the continent, read the report. The declaration comes amid rising cases of Mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its potential for further spread. The Director-General will share the report of the Committee’s meeting and based on the advice of the Committee, issue temporary recommendations to countries, said the report.

The infectious disease is triggering a “coordinated international response, including the mobilisation of resources, such as vaccines and diagnostic testing. Although the disease has not been termed as a pandemic yet, the measures taken up are designed to prevent it from becoming one. In declaring the PHEIC,.