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Two years after the last global epidemic, the monkeypox virus has re-emerged in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and several neighboring countries. Faced with the resurgence of the epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that its MPOX Emergency Committee will soon meet to assess whether this new epidemic should be declared an international emergency.
This new Mpox strain has proven to be more deadly than the strain observed in 2022. It is now more easily transmitted, affecting a variety of populations, including families, heterosexual groups, and school children. This expansion of transmission highlights the need for a rapid, coordinated response.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the outbreak has raged for months, more than 11,000 cases have been reported, with nearly 450 deaths. Mortality rates among children are particularly high, at 10%, researchers say. This alarming situation requires heightened vigilance and strengthened public health measures.
The outbreak is not limited to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The African Union’s health agency, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, has recorded 146 cases in Congo-Brazzaville and 227 in the Central African Republic. Other countries, including Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa and Rwanda, have also been affected, suggesting the virus is spreading rapidly across the continent.
Faced with this worrying situation, the World Health Organization is stepping up its efforts to stop the spread of the virus. However, the organization stressed the need for additional funding and support to provide an effective global response. The Director-General of the World Health Organization called on the international community to mobilize to avoid a major health crisis.
Mpox’s emergency committee will meet soon to decide whether the outbreak should be classified as an international emergency, the World Health Organization’s highest alert level. The decision will be crucial to coordinating the global response and preventing the virus from spreading further in Africa and internationally.
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