The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an extraordinarily dangerous strain of monkeypox a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC), marking its highest level of alert. This designation aims to trigger a comprehensive global response to combat the virus’s escalating spread. Key strategies include resource mobilization, enhanced surveillance, and stringent public health measures to protect populations and curb the virus’s transmission.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the urgent need for a coordinated international approach to stop the outbreaks and save lives. “It’s clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” Tedros emphasized. The declaration follows the rapid spread of the virus, primarily originating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and disseminating to neighboring nations.
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…
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 14, 2024
Escalating Outbreak and Global Response
The DRC outbreak involves the more transmissible clade I of the monkeypox virus, linked to severe infections with up to a 10% mortality rate. Over 17,000 suspected cases and 517 deaths have been reported in Africa this year alone, representing a 160% increase from the previous year. A newly detected strain, clade Ib, is spreading more easily through close contact, including sexual contact, affecting countries like Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
“The detection and rapid spread of a new clade of mpox in eastern DRC, its detection in neighboring countries that had not previously reported mpox, and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying,” Tedros said in announcing the declaration. “In addition to other outbreaks of other clades of mpox in other parts of Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop this outbreak and save lives.”
Clade II, responsible for the global spread in 2022 with milder infections and a survival rate exceeding 99.9%, contrasts sharply with clade I’s severity. The ongoing response aligns WHO’s efforts globally, aiming to effectively manage the virus before it reaches more vulnerable global populations.
The monkeypox outbreak represents a global health emergency, the World Health Organization's highest level of alert, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said https://t.co/knjO2BySOd pic.twitter.com/vYCLstHhTP
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 23, 2022
Mitigating the Crisis
Africa’s top public health organization has echoed WHO’s emergency declarations in response to the virus’s rapid spread. Understanding the virus’s transmission dynamics is crucial for effective intervention strategies and vaccine distribution. WHO’s current focus on international collaboration seeks to enhance surveillance and stimulate targeted funding to control the outbreak.
“Stopping these outbreaks will require a tailored and comprehensive response, with communities at the center, as always,” Tedros stated. The expert panel is working on temporary recommendations to address the outbreak, backed by increased efforts in vaccine donations and mobilization of international resources. WHO has requested $15 million for its ongoing responses, coordinating closely with affected countries.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services believes the U.S. is prepared to detect and manage potential clade I cases. They issued advisories urging doctors to be vigilant for mpox symptoms in people from affected areas. Vaccination programs targeting exposed individuals and high-risk groups are in place, which are effective against both clades.
