By Janice Kew | Bloomberg
The World Health Organization has declared a fast-spreading mpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency as the agency seeks to contain the spread of the potentially deadly virus.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus last called mpox a public health emergency of international concern in May 2022, when cases of a milder strain erupted globally. When the WHO lowered its alert level a year later, cases in Africa continued to increase.
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Now a mutated strain of mpox — a virus that causes unsightly, painful rashes and lesions — has spread to at least six African countries, infecting about 15,000 people and killing more than 500 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo this year alone. The variant was first reported in the DRC less than 12 months ago.
A public health emergency of international concern applies to an extraordinary event that carries a risk via the spread of a disease across borders — one that potentially requires a coordinated response. It can be used to encourage nations to cooperate on countermeasures.
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