NEW DELHI: The World Health Organisation (WH0) on Wednesday declared Mpox, formerly called monkeypox, as global public health emergency for the second time in two years.
The announcement came following an outbreak of the viral infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo that is fast spreading in neighbouring African countries.
The WHO had earlier declared Mpox as global public health emergency in July 2022 when the outbreak had affected over 1 lakh people, mainly gay and bisexual men, in 116 countries, and killed nearly 200 people.
On Tuesday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared the viral disease a “public health emergency of continental security”.
Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus. Mpox can be transmitted to humans through physical contact with someone who is infectious, with contaminated materials, or with infected animals.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on X, formerly Twitter, posted, “Today, the Emergency Committee on #mpox met and advised me that in its view, the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice.”
“@WHO is on the ground, working with the affected countries, and others at risk, through our country and regional offices, as well as with partners including the @AfricaCDC, NGOs, civil society and more.”
According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention more than 17,000 suspected mpox cases and 517 deaths have been reported on the African continent this year, a 160% increase in cases compared to the same period last year. A total of 13 countries have reported cases.