he Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced plans to consult an expert committee to determine whether the ongoing mpox outbreak should be classified as an international public health emergency.
Curbing the Virus's Spread
Mpox, also known as monkeypox, has recently surged in several African countries, prompting heightened global concern, according to Ziare.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO's Director-General, highlighted that the UN agency, along with African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other organizations, is preparing to intensify efforts to curb the virus's spread.
He emphasized the need for additional funding and support to mount an effective global response.
New and More Lethal Strain
On July 11, the WHO issued a warning about the risks posed by mpox, particularly due to a new, more lethal strain spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Since then, countries such as Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda have reported multiple cases. The DRC alone has recorded over 11,000 cases and 450 deaths.
Mpox was first discovered in humans in 1970 in what is now the DRC. Historically, it was confined to countries in Central and West Africa, where transmission typically occurred through contact with infected animals or consumption of wild game. However, in May 2022, cases of mpox began appearing worldwide, primarily affecting gay and bisexual men due to a different strain known as clade II. This global outbreak led the WHO to declare mpox a public health emergency of international concern in July 2022, a status that was lifted in May 2023.
