WHO calls emergency meeting to discuss increase in mpox cases in DRC | Health News

Nearly 27,000 cases of mpox have been found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with around 1,100 deaths.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called an emergency meeting to discuss a jump in mpox cases spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement on Wednesday, amid an outbreak that has recorded almost 27,000 cases in the DRC and claimed around 1,100 lives, many of them children.

Since last September, cases have increased in the Central African country due to a strain of the virus that has now been detected in neighboring countries.

“In light of the spread of mpox outside of the DRC and the potential for further international spread within and outside of Africa, I have decided to convene an Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations to advise me on whether the outbreak represents a public health emergency of international scope. concern,” the WHO chief said in a social media post.

In light of the spread of #mpox outside #RDCand the potential for further international spread within and outside Africa, I have decided to convene an Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations to advise me on whether the outbreak represents a public health problem…

-Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 7, 2024

Ghebreyesus said he called the meeting after cases of mpox appeared to spread to countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, where they had not previously been reported.

The committee will advise WHO on the question of whether the outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) – the highest level of alarm that WHO can sound.

The WHO said the meeting would take place “as soon as possible” but has not yet offered specific dates.

Smallpox is widely spread through sexual contact and is especially prevalent among men who have sex with other men.

The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week that mpox has been detected in 10 African countries this year, including the DRC, where more than 96 percent of all cases are located.

The agency added that cases have increased by 160% this year, with deaths increasing by 19%. The disease also appears to be especially prevalent among young people, with 70 percent of cases and 85 percent of deaths in the DRC occurring among children under the age of 15.

The WHO declared mpox, also known as monkeypox, a global emergency in 2022 after it spread to more than 70 countries.

Vaccines have helped neutralize the threat in rich countries but have not been made available adequately to poor countries, making the disease more difficult to eradicate and highlighting the global health risks posed by discrepancies in access to vaccines.

“We don’t want the world to sit back and watch and wait,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, who leads the WHO’s outbreak department. “The Hour [to act] and now.”