WHO Declares MonkeyPox a Global Public Health Emergency
Following Africa's declaration of the disease as a public health concern, the World Health Organization (WHO) has also declared the mpox outbreak in parts of Africa a public health emergency of international concern.
During an initial outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the highly contagious disease killed at least 450 people.
Now, it has invaded parts of central and east Africa, and scientists are concerned about how fast a new variant of the disease is spreading and its high fatality rate.
WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond "is very worrying".
"A co-ordinated international response is essential to stop this outbreak and save lives."
Mpox can be contacted through close contact during sex, skin-to-skin contact and talking or breathing close to another person.
Its symptoms include skin lesions and can be fatal, with four in 100 cases leading to death.
Monkeypox can be prevented using vaccines, though these are usually only available for people at risk or those who have been in close contact with an infected person.
A previous mpox public health emergency, declared in 2022, was caused by the relatively mild Clade 2. However, this time it is the far more deadly Clade 1 - which has killed up to 10% of those getting sick in previous outbreaks - that is surging.
It is hoped the declaration of mpox as a public health emergency will lead to research, funding, and the introduction of other international public health measures being accelerated.
Prof Trudie Lang, the director of the Global Health Network at the University of Oxford, said it was "important and timely", but added that the emergence of a new strain meant there were "many unknowns that need to be addressed".
Although anyone can contract monkeypox, the outbreak was largely concentrated among gays.
Continue Reading: Mpox Vaccines Delayed Despite WHO, Africa CDC Talks
