Mpox remains public health emergency -WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains that mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, remains a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), as transmission continues in several countries.

The global health body said Wednesday in the report of the fourth meeting of the Emergency Committee for International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) on the multi-country mpox outbreak, which was held on February 9.

According to the report, the committee acknowledged the progress made in the global response to mpox outbreaks in many countries and the decrease in the number of reported cases, but some countries continue to experience persistent disease.

In addition, the committee is also of the opinion that the unreported detection and under-reporting of confirmed cases of the disease in other areas.

Mpox was declared a global health emergency by the WHO in July 2022.

Case dismissed

In his opening speech, WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus acknowledged the continued decline in cases worldwide, with the majority of cases reported from the Americas.

Mr. Ghebreyesus also noted “the need to support efforts for surveillance, prevention and treatment; vaccinate high-risk populations; increase equitable access to diagnostics, vaccines and treatment for all who need it, and continue to fight stigma and discrimination and ensure respect for human rights”.

He added that continued human-to-human transmission could lead to recurrence, and concluded that in the long term, mpox programs and services should be integrated into national surveillance and control programs, including HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. .

Data as of February 12 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), show that 85,802 mpox infections have been recorded in 110 countries.

Presentation

According to the report, the WHO European Region reported at the meeting that on February 3, 43 countries and regions had not detected new cases in the past three months, while 18 countries and regions continued to report new local human-to-human cases. transmission, and the number of cases has decreased significantly.

The region in the Americas reported a stable number of cases over the past six weeks, with between 200 and 250 cases per week, and 4 percent of cases occurred in women.

The region added that while vaccine supplies are limited, seven countries have started vaccinations.

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The report noted that the Committee expressed concern about the resurgence of cases in some regions, due to lack of access to vaccines and testing capacity and ongoing zoonotic transmission in Africa.

The committee also recognized “the WHO regional proposal to develop a five-year elimination strategy and emphasized the need for all countries to rapidly develop and continue to implement existing short-term responses to mpox and to initiate the development of national and regional plans aimed at the long-term. – long-term elimination of human transmission to human”.