Mpox No Longer Global Public Health Emergency — WHO
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared that Mpox is no longer a public health emergency of international concern.
The announcement, disclosed via WHO’s official X on Friday, is a milestone in efforts to control the virus.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the decision followed advice from the UN health agency’s emergency committee after its quarterly review of the outbreak.
“This decision is based on sustained declines in cases and deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other affected countries, including Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Uganda,” he explained.
However, he cautioned that lifting the emergency declaration does not mean the danger has disappeared. “Our response must continue. Mpox remains a serious health threat on the African continent,” he warned.
Mpox is a rare, viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which is related to the smallpox virus. It spreads primarily through close, skin-to-skin contact with an infected person or animal, with symptoms like fever, a painful rash, and swollen lymph nodes.
It has two main subtypes, clade 1 and clade 2, and can be fatal if untreated. The disease reached global prominence in 2022 when clade 2 spread widely among gay and bisexual men outside Africa.
While the initial worldwide emergency was lifted in May 2023, a new outbreak driven by both clade 1a and clade 1b reignited concern in 2024, prompting WHO to restore the emergency status in August of that year.
Health experts credit a combination of vaccination campaigns, improved surveillance and heightened public awareness for the latest downturn in infections.
The global health leader reassured that it will continue to support countries in response to mpox, urging governments and individuals alike to remain vigilant so as to maintain the gains made during the public health emergency.
Mpox No Longer Global Public Health Emergency — WHO is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
