The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox outbreaks in Congo and other parts of Africa a global emergency on Wednesday. This decision follows the confirmation of cases among both children and adults across more than a dozen countries, with a new strain of the virus emerging. The availability of vaccines in Africa is currently limited.
Earlier this week, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) labeled the outbreaks a public health emergency, citing over 500 deaths and calling for international assistance to halt the virus’s spread.
“This situation should concern everyone… The potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying,” stated WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The Africa CDC reported that mpox, also known as monkeypox, has been detected in 13 countries this year. More than 96% of cases and deaths are concentrated in Congo. Compared to the same period last year, cases have surged by 160% and deaths have increased by 19%. There have been over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths so far.
In 2022, the WHO had previously declared mpox a global emergency after it spread to over 70 countries, primarily affecting gay and bisexual men, with a mortality rate of less than 1%.
Michael Marks, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, supported the emergency declaration, suggesting that it could lead to increased support to control the outbreak. He criticized the global response, noting that the need for resources should have been addressed sooner.
The Africa CDC reported that nearly 70% of cases in Congo are among children under 15, who also account for 85% of deaths.
The WHO also identified mpox for the first time in four East African countries—Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda—linking these outbreaks to the one in Congo. In Ivory Coast and South Africa, outbreaks of a less severe form of mpox have been reported.
A new, more dangerous strain of mpox, which can kill up to 10% of those infected, was discovered earlier this year in a Congolese mining town. This strain spreads more easily and causes less obvious symptoms, making it harder to detect.
Before the 2022 global outbreak, mpox was mainly reported in sporadic outbreaks in central and West Africa, typically associated with close contact with infected wild animals.
Western countries largely contained the 2022 outbreak with vaccines and treatments, but such resources are scarce in Africa. Congo has requested 4 million doses of mpox vaccines, primarily for children under 18, but has yet to receive any. The United States and Japan have offered to provide vaccines.
