Africa CDC declares mpox a public health emergency
Al JazeeraAUG 13 2024
Amid the rapid spread of a strain of the mpox virus, formerly known as monkeypox, across Central Africa, the World Health Organization declared an international health emergency on Wednesday — the second time in two years.
This comes as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared its first-ever public health emergency as the highly contagious disease from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has spread to neighboring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, and Rwanda.
Since the beginning of the year, there have reportedly been over 17K cases across Africa, with over 13.7K of these reported in the DRC, which has seen at least 450 fatalities. Declaring a public health emergency will reportedly help government agencies coordinate and possibly increase medical aid to affected areas.
The latest strain of the mpox virus has quickly spread across at least 13 Central African nations. This outbreak demands urgent global action to avoid a worsening crisis. By declaring the mpox outbreak a public health emergency, the resources needed to effectively address and prevent the virus from spreading further can be mobilized.
While a new strain of mpox is spreading in Africa, the American public is less aware and fearful of it than in 2022. The majority of US adults know that individuals exposed to mpox can receive a vaccination for people with risk factors and to help prevent its spread. This is no cause for alarm.