The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), raising alarms over its potential for further international transmission.
In a press conference held in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced, \"Today, the emergency committee met and advised me that, in its view, the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice.\"
A PHEIC represents the highest level of alarm under international health law. \"This is something that should concern us all … The potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying,\" Tedros emphasized.
Mpox cases reported this year have surpassed last year's total, with over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths, according to WHO data.
The WHO's declaration follows the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declaring the ongoing mpox outbreak a public health emergency for the continent. Tedros noted, \"We are not dealing with one outbreak of one clade – we are dealing with several outbreaks of different clades in different countries with different modes of transmission and different levels of risk.\"
In response to the crisis, the European Union has announced plans to procure and donate 175,420 doses of MVA-BN vaccines to Africa, as revealed by the European Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA). Additionally, Denmark-based biotechnology company Bavarian Nordic will donate 40,000 doses of the vaccine to HERA.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
