Africa: Mpox Outbreak Declared a Public Health Emergency
Africa: Mpox declaredOutbreak publicDeclared healtha emergencyPublic inHealth AfricaEmergency
The Facts
Amid the rapid spread of a concerning strain of the mpox, or monkeypox, virus across Central Africa, the Africa CDC declared its first-ever public-health emergency on Wednesday. The WHO will discuss a global declaration during its meeting on August 14.Amid the rapid spread of a concerning strain of the mpox, or monkeypox, virus across Central Africa, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared its first-ever public-health emergency on Wednesday.
The decision by the continent's leading health body follows a call for immediate action by the WHO. The highly contagious disease, causing body-wide lesions, has spread from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to neighboring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, and Rwanda.The decision by the continent's leading health body follows the WHO's call for immediate action. The highly contagious disease, which causes body-wide lesions, has spread from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to neighboring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, and Rwanda.
The Spin
The latest strain of the mpox virus has quickly spread across at least 13 Central African nations. This outbreak demands urgent attention from the world to avoid a worsening crisis. By declaring the mpox outbreak a public health emergency, the African health authority hopes to mobilize the resources needed to effectively address and prevent the virus from spreading further. Urgent global action is neededrequired to help Africa procure 10M doses of the mpox vaccine.
While a new strain of monkeypoxmpox is spreading in Africa, the American public is less aware and fearful of it than they were in 2022. However, the majority of US adults know that individuals exposed to monkeypoxmpox can receive a vaccination for people with risk factors and to help prevent its spread. So far, only Africa's central and eastern regions have reported cases of the deadlier monkeypoxmpox strain, but healththe authoritiesWHO and responsible media must issue a newglobal mpox advisory to inform the public of its likely return.
