WHO designates monkeypox as a global health emergency

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared monkeypox, aka mpox, in Africa as a global health emergency. This decision follows the increase in cases on the continent, Wednesday (14/8/2024).

Launching from AP News, The decision of a global health emergency announced directly by the Director General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, indicates that monkeypox in Africa could spread outside the country or even the continent.

According to the WHO report, throughout 2024 Africa has recorded more than 14 thousand cases and 524 deaths due to monkeypox, an increase from 2023. So far, 96 percent of cases and deaths have occurred in the Congo.

In detail, the African CDC reports that monkeypox has been found in at least 13 African countries. Compared to the same period last year, Africa’s CDC said the number of cases in 2024 would be up 160 percent and deaths 19 percent.

In early 2024, scientists reported that a new species of monkeypox appeared in a Congolese mining town that they said could kill up to 10 percent of people and spread more easily.

Unlike previous outbreaks, this new type of monkeypox is characterized by milder symptoms and lesions on the genitals. Congolese researcher, Dr. Placide Mbala-Kingebeni revealed that this makes it difficult to identify the new type of virus and that it can be transmitted by someone who is not aware of the disease.

WHO recently reported that monkeypox was identified for the first time in four East African countries, namely Burundi; Kenya; Rwanda; and Uganda. The entire outbreak is linked to the epidemic in the Congo. Tedros said his party was concerned about the potential for the disease to spread again in Africa and beyond.

In addition to East Africa, the Swedish public health agency also identified the first case of a new varicella varietal in a person of African origin who sought health care in Stockholm.

Officials said the risk to the public was considered “very low” and that they expected cases to continue to be “introduced” from time to time.

The Director General of Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya said the WHO’s declaration of a public health emergency aimed to “mobilize our institutions, our collective will and our resources to act quickly and decisively.”

So, what is different about this year’s monkeypox outbreak in Africa compared to the 2022 epidemic?

During the global outbreak of monkeypox in 2022, gay and bisexual men experienced the majority of cases. According to reports, this zoonotic virus is spread mainly through close contact, including sex.

Although some similar patterns have been observed in Africa, currently children under the age of 15 account for more than 70 percent of monkey cases and 85 percent of deaths in the Congo.

Congo Save the Children Director, Greg Ramm, said his party was concerned about the spread of cases of monkeypox in refugee camps in the east.

“345 thousand children are “circulated” into unclean tents,” said Ramm, who was announced on Friday (16/8/2024).

“The country’s health system is collapsing under the weight of malnutrition, measles and cholera,” he continued.

Until now, it has not been possible to explain with certainty why the number of child cases of mpox in the Congo is “very disproportionate”. It is thought that this could be because children are more susceptible to the virus or social factors, such as population density and exposure to infected parents.

(rns/rns)