WHO to reassess Mpox global health emergency

GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced to convene its Emergency Committee next week to reassess the status of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) as a global health emergency. The meeting will determine whether mpox, declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in August due to the emergence of the new clade Ib variant, still warrants the organization's highest level of alert.

This reassessment comes as a recent WHO report reveals that mpox has severely impacted Africa, with 46,794 confirmed and suspected cases recorded this year as of November 3, alongside 1,081 reported deaths. The outbreak has hit the Democratic Republic of Congo the hardest, followed by Burundi and Uganda.

Mpox spreads primarily through close physical contact and is often associated with flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. While symptoms are typically mild, the virus can be fatal in certain cases, posing a serious health risk in affected regions.

In a bid to contain the outbreak, the WHO allocated initial vaccine doses earlier this month to the nine African nations experiencing the highest infection rates. The upcoming WHO Emergency Committee meeting is anticipated to address the effectiveness of these vaccine efforts and further strategies to manage the outbreak.

This latest development underscores the ongoing threat posed by mpox, as health experts and officials globally await the WHO’s updated response to the evolving crisis.