The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has declared the recent surge in pox cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and several other African countries a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005). This declaration, announced on August 14, follows the advice of an IHR Emergency Committee of independent experts who reviewed data from WHO and affected nations. Dr Tedros emphasized the gravity of the situation, noting, “The emergence of a new clade of pox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and reporting cases in several neighbouring countries are very worrying.
On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.” The Emergency Committee’s recommendation highlights the potential for further spread across Africa and beyond, prompting Dr Tedros to outline temporary recommendations for countries. The WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr.
Matshidiso Moeti, added that efforts are being intensified through collaboration with communities and governments. “Significant efforts are already underway, with our country teams working on the frontlines to help reinforce measures to curb mpox,” she said. “With the growing spread of the virus, we’re scaling up further through coordinated international action to support countries in bringing the outbreaks to an end.
” Committee Chair Professor Dimie Ogoina underscored the global implications of the current mpox surge. “The current upsurge of mpox in parts of Africa, along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain of the monkeypox virus, is an emergency not only for Africa but for the entire globe,” Ogoina said. “Mpox, originating in Africa, was neglected there and later caused a global outbreak in 2022.
It is time to act decisively to prevent history from repeating itself.” This is the second PHEIC declaration related to mpox in two years. Mpox, caused by an Orthopoxvirus and first detected in humans in 1970 in the DRC, has been considered endemic to central and west Africa.
The previous PHEIC, declared in July 2022, addressed a multi-country outbreak that spread via sexual contact. That PHEIC was lifted in May 2023 after a decline in global cases. The current outbreak has seen over 15,600 reported cases and 537 deaths this year alone.
The emergence of a new strain, clade 1b, which appears to spread predominantly through sexual networks, has raised particular concern. This strain has been detected in neighboring countries—Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda—that had not previously reported mpox. The WHO actively works with countries and vaccine manufacturers to increase vaccine access.
The organization has triggered the Emergency Use Listing process for mpox vaccines to facilitate distribution, especially to lower-income countries. WHO has also released $1.45 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies and anticipates needing an additional $15 million for surveillance, preparedness, and response efforts.
The WHO is calling on donors to support the total funding needs of the mpox response as it coordinates international efforts to combat the outbreak..
