Mpox is still a public health emergency, WHO says

The mpox outbreak is still a public health emergency, the World Health Organization said on Monday, with the health body’s director-general issuing a revised set of temporary recommendations.

The announcement follows the fourth meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of mpox.

The Committee advised the Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom, to extend the public health emergency of international concern, based on the continuing rise in the number of cases, including a recent increase in West Africa, and likely ongoing undetected transmission in some countries beyond the African continent.

The WHO first declared the emergency in August last year, when an outbreak of a new form of mpox spread from the badly-hit Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring countries.

WHO Director-General emphasised the threat posed by the virus and issued a revised set of temporary recommendations to help countries manage and control the outbreak.

The updated guidelines aim to support coordinated global efforts to reduce transmission and protect vulnerable populations.

The upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its spread to neighbouring countries was first determined to be a public health emergency of international concern by the Director-General on 14 August 2024.

Since then, the Emergency Committee has met on three additional occasions, each time advising the Director-General that the event continues to constitute a PHEIC.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is an infectious viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus. Common symptoms include a skin rash or mucosal lesions, fever, headache, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes.

The disease can be transmitted through close contact with infected individuals, contaminated materials, or infected animals. Treatment primarily focuses on relieving symptoms.