- WHO emergency committee meets on Mpox
In light of a concerning variant of the hazardous viral disease Mpox in Africa, an emergency committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) is convening in Geneva. Independent experts are advising on whether there is a risk of greater spread and if the WHO should declare a "public health emergency of international concern" (PHEIC).
This is the highest alert level of the WHO. It does not trigger specific measures but serves as a prompt for authorities worldwide to prepare for potential outbreaks. Each country decides its own measures. The European health agency ECDC assessed the risk of spread of the new variant in Europe as "very low" at the end of July.
The African health agency CDC has already declared the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries a health emergency for the continent. This could enable more resources to be provided to support countries in containment, according to the African CDC.
The disease was previously known as monkeypox because it was first identified in monkeys. The WHO has changed the name as it generally does not name diseases after animals, regions, or countries.
Since late 2023, numerous cases of a new sublineage of the Mpox virus, clade I (roman one), have been discovered in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It may spread more easily and cause more severe illness. Studies are still ongoing. Mpox is characterized by a skin rash and usually fever, which can be life-threatening for young children.
From Congo, Mpox has spread to countries that previously had no cases: Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda. The risk exists that the disease could reach distant countries, said WHO Mpox expert Rosamund Lewis.
The committee is meeting virtually until 5 PM. Whether a decision will be published shortly thereafter has not yet been decided.
A Mpox health emergency was already declared by the WHO from July 2022 to May 2023. At that time, cases of the less hazardous clade II were in dozens of countries, including Germany. Through education about protective measures and vaccinations, outbreaks were quickly brought under control in most countries.
Other countries outside Africa should closely monitor the situation, given the potential for the new Mpox variant to spread further. The implications of a wider spread of the disease on global health are a matter of concern for the Other global health organizations and authorities.
