World Health Organization Calls Mpox a Global Health Emergency
SUMMARY
The World Health Organization has declared the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa a 'global health emergency', which they claim is due to its 'rapid spread' and 'severe impact'. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus previously labeled mpox a public health emergency of international concern in May 2022, when a milder strain emerged globally. The alert was lowered a year later, but cases in Africa have surged with a new, mutated strain. This variant has spread to at least six African countries, infecting about 15,000 people and causing over 500 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo this year. The declaration aims to mobilize international efforts and enhance cooperative responses to contain the outbreak.
