Mpox virus can be halted, brought under control: WHO

GENEVA — The World Health Organization (WHO) Secretary-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced on Friday that the new mpox virus can be halted and brought under control with coordinated global efforts.

“This new mpox outbreak can be controlled and stopped,” Tedros stated during a briefing with WHO member states.

He emphasized that achieving this will require concerted action involving international agencies, national and local partners, civil society, researchers, manufacturers, and WHO member states.

Since the global outbreak began in 2022, over 100,000 confirmed mpox cases have been reported to the WHO, with a significant surge in cases across Africa.

Tedros highlighted that the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the epicenter of transmission in 2024, accounting for 90% of reported cases. This year alone, the country has seen over 16,000 suspected cases and 575 deaths.

Tedros also mentioned that last month, cases of the Clade 1b strain of the virus were reported in countries neighboring Congo, such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, as well as in Thailand and Sweden, where the virus had not previously been detected.

To combat the outbreak, the WHO and its partners have developed a Global Mpox Virus Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan. This plan aims to stop the spread of the virus through coordinated global, regional, and national efforts.

The strategy focuses on implementing comprehensive surveillance and response measures, advancing research and equitable access to medical countermeasures, minimizing zoonotic transmission, and empowering communities to actively participate in outbreak prevention and control.

Tedros noted that the WHO has been collaborating with a wide range of international, regional, national, and local partners to enhance preparedness against the virus.

The WHO Regional Office for Africa, in partnership with the Ethiopian-based Africa CDC, will lead the coordination of response efforts in the African region, where the need is greatest. — Agencies