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- Mpox a Public Health Emergency of Concern: WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern on August 14 after a growing number of cases in Africa. WHO is working with countries and vaccine manufacturers on potential vaccine donations and coordinating with health care partners to facilitate access to vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other tools.
Mpox has been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for more than a decade and the number of mpox cases increased steadily through the years. In 2023, reported cases increased significantly and already the number of cases reported so far in 2024 has exceeded last year’s total with more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths, the WHO said.
In 2022, the multi-country outbreak of mpox led to public health emergencies being declared by WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Those health emergencies were declared to be over in May 2023 after there had been a sustained decline in global cases.