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World Health Organization declares global public health emergency over smallpox outbreak in Africa
Tedros said the possibility of further spread of the virus in Africa and other regions is very worrying
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday raised its global alert level to the highest level due to a surge in monkeypox cases in Africa and the threat of a new outbreak. The virus has spread rapidly to 13 countries in Africa, including areas where no cases had been reported before.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed at a press conference: “The discovery and rapid spread of a new lineage of MPox virus in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, its discovery in neighboring countries where MPox has not been reported before, and its potential to spread further in Africa and beyond are all very worrying.”
He also noted that the number of cases of vaccinia infection in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been increasing over the past few years. So far this year, 524 deaths have been reported and the total number of cases has exceeded 14,000. This is the second time in three years that WHO has designated a vaccinia outbreak as an international emergency, the last time being in July 2022.
On Tuesday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Africa) declared the vaccinia outbreak in the region a public health emergency for the continent.
“WHO has been working hard to contain malaria outbreaks in Africa and has warned that this epidemic deserves the attention of all of us,” said Dr Tedros. “Last week, I convened an Emergency Committee to assess the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries in Africa. Today, the Committee met and reported that the situation constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.”
“It is clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop the outbreak and save lives. A public health emergency of international concern is the highest level of alarm in health legislation,” he continued.
In May 2023, the Director-General acknowledged at that time that “the end of the emergency does not mean the end of the work” as “the virus continues to pose a major challenge to public health” and as “travel-associated cases have been reported in all regions, indicating that the threat persists.” He also noted that MPOX poses a particular risk to people living with untreated HIV.
Swine pox is a viral zoonosis. It can be transmitted to humans through contact with infected wild animals, virus-infected people, and contaminated materials. Symptoms typically include rash or skin lesions, swollen lymph nodes (glands), fever, body aches, headache, chills, and weakness.
There is currently no vaccine for monkeypox, but the smallpox vaccine is said to be 85% effective in preventing the disease.
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