By Janice Kew | Bloomberg
The World Health Organization has declared a rapidly spreading MPOX outbreak in Africa a global health emergency as the agency tries to contain the spread of the potentially deadly virus.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus last declared Mpox an international health emergency in May 2022, when cases of a milder variant began to emerge around the world. When the WHO lowered its alert level a year later, cases in Africa continued to rise.
Now a mutated strain of the Mpox virus – a virus that causes unsightly, painful rashes and lesions – has spread to at least six African countries, infecting about 15,000 people and killing more than 500 in the Democratic Republic of Congo this year alone. The variant was first reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo less than 12 months ago.
A public health emergency of international concern is an exceptional event that poses a risk of cross-border spread of a disease and may require a coordinated response. It can be used to encourage nations to work together on response measures.
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