The World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially declared the ongoing Mpox outbreak in Africa a global emergency due to the alarming spread of the virus across multiple countries and its significant impact on public health.
- The Mpox outbreak, primarily in Congo, has now been declared a global emergency by WHO.
- Over 14,000 cases and more than 500 deaths have been reported, with the outbreak spreading to at least 13 countries.
- The WHO and Africa CDC are calling for international assistance to contain the virus.
WHO declares Mpox outbreak a global emergency
The WHO’s decision to classify the Mpox outbreak as a global emergency comes after the virus, also known as monkeypox, was detected in over a dozen countries, with cases among both children and adults.
The situation is particularly dire in Congo, which accounts for more than 96% of the reported cases and deaths.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed deep concern about the potential for the virus to spread beyond Africa.
Salim Abdool Karim, a South African infectious diseases expert, highlighted the severity of the new strain of Mpox spreading from Congo, noting that it has a mortality rate of approximately 3-4%.
Will this affect international travel for Africans?
With the declaration of Mpox as a global emergency, there are growing concerns about how this will impact international travel, particularly for Africans.
At this stage, WHO has not imposed any travel restrictions, but travellers are advised to stay informed about the latest updates and follow any health advisories issued by authorities.
The situation is fluid, and potential restrictions or requirements, such as vaccination or quarantine, could be implemented if the outbreak continues to spread.
Mpox outbreak in South Africa: Here are the latest infection details
In South Africa, the Mpox outbreak has seen a recent uptick in cases, with two more laboratory-confirmed cases reported in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 24, with 12 in Gauteng, 11 in KwaZulu-Natal, and one in the Western Cape.
The most recent cases involve a 36-year-old man from KwaZulu-Natal, who had no international travel history, and a 20-year-old man from Gauteng, who had recently travelled to Peru, a country with a high number of Mpox cases.
South African health authorities are actively conducting contact tracing and monitoring to prevent further spread of the virus.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspected symptoms immediately.
Most of the previous cases have fully recovered, and the Department of Health has received additional doses of Tecovirimat (TPOXX) from WHO to aid in the treatment of the disease.
