Cases and Deaths: WHO Declares Mpox Outbreaks in Africa a Global Emergency

In Summary

• The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox outbreaks in Congo and other African countries a global emergency.
• More than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths have been reported, with Congo being the hardest hit.
• The Africa CDC also declared the outbreaks a public health emergency, calling for international aid.
• The new form of mpox spreading from Congo has a death rate of 3-4%, with most cases affecting children under 15.
• Limited vaccine availability and overwhelmed health systems are exacerbating the crisis.
• WHO’s declaration aims to prompt global action, but previous responses to similar emergencies have been inconsistent.

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo – The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared the mpox outbreaks in Congo and other parts of Africa a global emergency. This declaration comes as the virus, also known as monkeypox, has spread rapidly across the continent, with cases confirmed in children and adults in more than a dozen countries and a new, deadlier form of the virus emerging.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) had already labeled the mpox outbreaks as a public health emergency earlier this week, reporting more than 500 deaths and urging international assistance to contain the virus.

“This is something that should concern us all ... The potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying,” said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during the announcement.

Surge in Cases and Deaths

Mpox has been detected in 13 African countries this year, with more than 96% of all cases and deaths occurring in Congo. The continent has seen a staggering 160% increase in cases and a 19% rise in deaths compared to the same period last year. To date, over 14,000 cases have been reported, and 524 people have died.

Salim Abdool Karim, a South African infectious diseases expert who chairs the Africa CDC emergency group, expressed grave concern over the spread of mpox, particularly in central Africa. He noted that the new form of mpox emerging from Congo appears to have a fatality rate of 3-4%.

The situation is especially dire in Congo’s conflict-ridden eastern regions, where refugee camps are particularly vulnerable to the spread of the virus. Epidemiologist Jacques Alonda, who is working with international charities in Congo, shared a harrowing account of a six-week-old baby infected with mpox after being forced to share a room with an undiagnosed patient due to overcrowded hospital conditions.

Strained Health Systems and Limited Resources

The health system in Congo is already under immense pressure, struggling to cope with existing outbreaks of malnutrition, measles, and cholera. The addition of the mpox crisis is pushing the system to its limits.

WHO reported that mpox has recently been identified for the first time in four East African countries—Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda—all of which are linked to the outbreak in Congo. Other countries, like Ivory Coast and South Africa, are dealing with less dangerous versions of the virus that spread globally in 2022.

The new form of mpox spreading in Congo is particularly concerning because it causes milder symptoms and lesions on the genitals, making it harder to detect. This means that infected individuals might unknowingly spread the virus to others.

Call for Global Action

Despite the severe situation, Congo has not received any of the mpox vaccines it has requested. The country has asked for 4 million doses, which would primarily be used for children under 18. The United States and Japan have expressed willingness to provide vaccines, but no doses have been delivered yet.

Dr. Dimie Ogoina, a Nigerian mpox expert and chair of WHO’s emergency committee, emphasized the need for stronger surveillance to track the outbreaks, noting that there are still significant gaps in understanding how mpox is spreading in Africa.

While WHO’s emergency declaration is intended to galvanize global support, past responses to similar emergencies have been mixed. Dr. Boghuma Titanji, an infectious diseases expert at Emory University, cautioned that the previous WHO emergency declaration for mpox “did very little to move the needle” in getting necessary resources like diagnostic tests, medicines, and vaccines to Africa.

“The world has a real opportunity here to act in a decisive manner and not repeat past mistakes,” Titanji said. “But that will take more than an emergency declaration.”