WHO declares Mpox a global health emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared Mpox a global health emergency.

This follows a surge in Mpox (formerly monkeypox) outbreaks in Africa.

The virus has hit the Democratic Republic of Congo, where 14,000 cases and 524 deaths have been reported this year.

WHO convened a meeting of experts to study the outbreak and make recommendations to its director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Tedros, addressing a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland, said: “Today, the emergency committee met and told me that in its view, the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice.

“This is something that should concern all of us.

“WHO is committed in the coming days and weeks to coordinating a global response, working closely with each affected country and leveraging our presence on the ground, to prevent transmission, care for those infected and save lives.

“The emergence and rapid spread of clade 1b last year in the DRC, which appears to be spreading primarily through sexual networks, and its detection in countries neighbouring the DRC is of great concern, and was one of the main reasons for my decision to convene this emergency committee,” he said as he opened the emergency committee meeting.

“In the past month, about 90 cases of clade 1b have been reported in four neighboring countries of the Congo that had not reported mpox before, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.”

WHO declares Mpox a global health emergency first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.