The World Health Organization (WHO) has convened an emergency meeting of international experts in response to a surge in Mpox cases in Africa, particularly concerning a highly infectious and dangerous variant.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the meeting on Wednesday, stating that experts will assess whether the outbreak should be declared a global emergency. The WHO has allocated $1 million from its emergency fund to combat the crisis.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week that Mpox, also known as monkeypox, has been detected in 10 African countries this year. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) accounts for over 96% of reported cases and fatalities, with nearly 70% of cases affecting children aged 15 and younger, who represent 85% of the deaths.
New cases of Mpox have been identified in Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, and the Central African Republic. A particularly lethal variant of Mpox, identified earlier this year in a Congolese mining town, has a fatality rate of up to 10% and raises concerns about its potential for rapid spread.
Mpox is transmitted through close contact with infected individuals, including during sexual encounters. While vaccines and treatments have helped control the outbreak in Western countries, these resources remain limited in Africa.
Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s outbreak department head, stressed the urgency of the situation. “We must not allow the world to simply observe and delay,” she said. “Now is the time to act.”
In 2022, WHO had previously declared Mpox a global emergency due to its spread to over 70 countries, primarily affecting gay and bisexual men. The disease’s resurgence in Africa underscores the ongoing need for international support and intervention.
