ALBAWABA- The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the mpox outbreaks in Congo and other parts of Africa a global health emergency as a new, more lethal form of the virus spreads.
With confirmed cases in over a dozen countries and the majority of infections and deaths occurring in Congo, the situation has become increasingly dire. Vaccine availability on the continent remains critically low.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently labeled the mpox outbreaks a public health emergency, reporting over 500 deaths and urgently calling for international assistance to curb the virus's spread.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed deep concern about the potential for further global spread.
This year alone, mpox—formerly known as monkeypox—has surged by 160% in cases and 19% in deaths compared to the same period last year, with more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths reported.
Nearly 70% of the cases in Congo are children under 15, who also represent 85% of the deaths. Experts warn that the new variant of mpox spreading from Congo has a fatality rate of 3-4%, significantly higher than the global mpox outbreak of 2022, which affected over 70 countries but had a fatality rate of less than 1%.
