1. WHO declares ongoing mpox outbreaks in Congo and Africa a global health emergency.
2. The virus is spreading among children and adults in over a dozen countries.
3. Vaccine availability in affected regions remains critically low.
Geneva, Aug 15: The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the ongoing mpox outbreaks in Congo and other African regions a global health emergency.
With cases confirmed in over a dozen countries, the virus is now spreading among both children and adults. Despite the severity, vaccine availability on the continent remains critically low.
Earlier this week, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also labeled the mpox situation a public health emergency, reporting over 500 deaths and urging international support.
The virus has been detected in 13 countries, with Congo accounting for 96% of cases and deaths. In 2023 alone, there were more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in the region, marking a significant surge from last year.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern about the growing threat, highlighting the potential for the virus to spread beyond Africa.
Salim Abdool Karim, an infectious diseases expert with the Africa CDC, emphasized that the new strain emerging from Congo has a 3-4% mortality rate, a sharp contrast to the 2022 global outbreak where less than 1% of those infected died.
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The majority of cases in Congo involve children under 15, who also account for 85% of deaths. Experts like Jacques Alonda, an epidemiologist in Congo, are particularly worried about the spread in refugee camps, where overcrowding and limited healthcare resources increase the risk.
The WHO reported that mpox has recently been identified for the first time in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, all linked to the Congo outbreak.
In the Ivory Coast and South Africa, a less deadly version of the virus, similar to the one that spread globally in 2022, is circulating.
Despite previous global efforts, Africa remains under-resourced in terms of vaccines and treatments. Congolese officials have requested 4 million doses of the mpox vaccine, primarily for children under 18.
However, WHO’s emergency declaration alone may not be enough to prompt a swift response, with experts warning that decisive global action is needed to prevent further spread and repeat past mistakes.
