WHO Convenes Emergency Meeting as Mpox Virus Variant Spreads in Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) is holding an emergency meeting to address the alarming surge of a highly infectious and dangerous variant of the Mpox virus in African countries. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the meeting, expressing grave concerns about the rapid spread of the virus and the potential for a global emergency.

During a press briefing, Tedros stated that WHO has allocated $1 million from its emergency fund to combat the outbreak. He emphasized that the organization’s experts will evaluate whether the current situation warrants a global emergency declaration.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that Mpox has been detected in 10 African nations this year, with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounting for over 96% of cases and fatalities. Disturbingly, nearly 70% of these cases in the DRC involve children aged 15 and younger, who also represent 85% of the deaths.

Recent reports have identified Mpox cases for the first time in Burundi and Rwanda, with additional cases in Kenya and the Central African Republic. The new variant, first detected in a Congolese mining town, is particularly concerning due to its high fatality rate, which can reach up to 10%.

Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO's outbreak department, highlighted the urgency of the situation, stressing the need for a swift and decisive response to prevent the virus from spreading further.

In 2022, WHO declared Mpox a global emergency as it spread to over 70 countries, predominantly affecting gay and bisexual men. While the outbreak has been controlled in Western nations through vaccines and treatments, these resources remain scarce in Africa, heightening concerns about the current situation.