Mpox to remain a public health emergency of international concern, says WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Wednesday that Mpox will continue to remain a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The decision to continue with the status quo on Mpox was based on the recommendations made by an Mpox Emergency Committee, whose findings were published on the same day.

“The emergency committee for the global outbreak of Mpox met to assess whether, in its view, the outbreak remains a public health emergency of international concern. The committee has advised me that, in its view, Mpox remains a global health emergency, and I have accepted that advice,” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

In its report, the Mpox committee, which met on 9 February, acknowledged the progress made in reducing the virus transmission and the sharp decline of reported cases. However, it also expressed concerns that “a few countries continued to see a sustained incidence of illness” while in other countries it’s likely that more cases are occuring under the radar.

“More than 30 countries continue to report cases, and the possible underdetection and under-reporting of confirmed cases in some regions is concerning. Particularly in countries where animal-human transmission of Mpox has been reported before,” Tedros pointed out.

In its report, the expert committee also expressed concerns about the possible resurgence of cases due to the expected resumption of LGBTQ social events and other mass gathering events; lack of access to vaccines and testing capacities in many lower-income countries; and the recurring zoonotic transmission in Africa.

It added that “not all countries are receiving the support they need or have structures or systems to respond to mpox, including inadequate support for marginalized groups; and general fatigue among supporting agencies.”