What is mpox? Which countries have reported cases so far?

The World Health Organization on Wednesday (August 14) declared that the mpox surge in Africa is now a global public health emergency, sounding its highest possible alarm over the worsening situation.

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"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," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference.

Amid worries caused by the rise in mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the spread to nearby countries, the WHO hastily convened a meeting of experts to study the outbreak.

A Public Health Emergency is the highest level of alarm under the International Health Regulations, which are legally binding on 196 countries.

"The detection and rapid spread of a new clade of mpox in eastern DRC, its detection in neighbouring countries that had not previously reported mpox, and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying," said Tedros.

"It's clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives.

"This is something that should concern us all."

WHO's decision comes after the African Union's health watchdog declared its own public health emergency over the growing outbreak.

Tedros said the more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths reported so far this year in DR Congo had already exceeded last year's total.

"The emergence last year and rapid spread of clade 1b in DRC, which appears to be spreading mainly through sexual networks, and its detection in countries neighbouring DRC is especially concerning," he said, citing Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

He said many members feared the known situation in Africa was "actually the tip of the iceberg", because without surveillance, "we don't have the full picture".

Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention director, insisted: "We can stop transmission of mpox with a concerted effort."

Two vaccines for mpox are recommended by WHO immunisation experts.

What is mpox?

Formerly called monkeypox, the virus was first discovered in humans in 1970 in what is now the DRC.

Mpox is an infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals but can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact.

The disease causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions.

In May 2022, mpox infections surged worldwide, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men.

The WHO declared a public health emergency which lasted from July 2022 to May 2023. The outbreak, which has now largely subsided, caused some 140 deaths out of around 90,000 cases.

A Public Health Emergency has only been declared seven times previously since 2009: over H1N1 swine flu, poliovirus, Ebola, Zika virus, Ebola again, COVID-19 and mpox.

The cases reported so far

On Friday, the health department in Pakistan'sKhyber Pakhtunkhwa province said it detected three cases of mpox.The viral infection was detected in the patients on their arrival from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the department said.It was not immediately clear which variant was detected in the patients.

A day earlier, Sweden confirmed its first case of the viral infection, which was also the first case outside Africa.

Addressing a press conference,Olivia Wigzell, director-general at the Swedish Public Health Agency, said that the person wasinfected while staying in a part of Africa where there was a large outbreak of the disease.

(With inputs from agencies)