The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) due to a new variant of the mpox viral disease in Africa. This comes after cases have been found in 13 African countries and the disease is spreading rapidly. The PHEIC declaration allows for accelerated research, funding, and global cooperation to contain the disease.
The outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has spread to neighbouring countries and a new variant of the virus, clade Ib, appears to be spreading more easily. The African continent has reported more than 17,000 suspected cases and 517 deaths so far this year.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has warned of the alarming rate at which the virus is spreading and has reached an agreement with the EU’s health task force to provide doses of the mpox vaccine to Africa. Social media and traditional media will be used to ensure that the message reaches all populations, especially young people.
This is the second time in two years that the WHO has issued a PHEIC for the mpox virus. In 2022, a different form of the virus spread globally through sexual contact, leading to a public health emergency lasting almost a year.
The Red Cross has pledged to scale up preparedness measures in Africa, particularly in the eastern DRC, to contain the spread of the disease. The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has expressed profound concern and is committed to playing a crucial role in containing the outbreak, even in hard-to-reach areas.
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