WHO declares Mpox outbreak emergency of international concern
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Experts compare the outbreak to the early days of HIV, calling for faster access to vaccines and testing.
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The colorized electron microscope image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases shows Mpox particles, red, found within an infected cell. (AP)
Scientists have likened the current Mpox outbreak in Africa to the early days of HIV, prompting the World Health Organization to declare it a public health emergency.
They emphasize the need for expedited access to testing, vaccines, and treatments in affected regions and advocate for campaigns to reduce the stigma associated with the virus.
Additional research funding is deemed crucial due to the "massive unknowns" surrounding a new variant spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
As of August 4, Africa has reported 38,465 Mpox cases and 1,456 deaths since January 2022, with over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths occurring in the DRC this year alone. The outbreak involves various clades of the virus, including a new clade Ib, which is particularly affecting children in the DRC and neighboring areas.
The WHO’s emergency declaration aligns with past responses to serious outbreaks like Ebola, COVID-19, and a 2022 Mpox surge in Europe.
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Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director-general, described the situation as “very worrying", justifying the “highest level of alarm” under the international health law. He pointed out the emergence of clade (Ib) in eastern DRC and its presence in neighboring countries.
The WHO has allocated $1.5 million from its contingency fund and plans to release additional funds, urging donors to contribute the remaining $15 million needed for the region’s response.
Trudie Lang, a global health research professor at Oxford University, mentioned that, although data are still pending, frontline teams have reported a significant number of pregnancy losses and babies born with Mpox lesions due to in-utero transmission. She highlighted numerous “massive unknowns", including the extent of cases beyond hospital settings.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared Mpox a public health emergency on Tuesday. Dr. Jean Kaseya, the organization’s director-general, emphasized that this declaration was “not merely a formality” but rather “a clarion call to action,” requiring proactive and aggressive measures to contain and eradicate the virus.
In response, Dr. Boghuma Titanji, an assistant professor of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta, expressed hope that the declaration would encourage African governments to allocate more funds to combat the outbreak.
At the beginning of August, the African Union approved $10.4 million (£8 million) for Africa CDC’s response. However, Kaseya has indicated that the continent will need approximately $4 billion to fully address the crisis.
