Global Health Crisis: Mpox Outbreaks in Congo Spur International Alarm

The World Health Organisation has declared mpox outbreaks in Africa a global emergency, with cases up 160% and deaths up 19%. The WHO and Africa CDC urge international assistance as vaccines are scarce. The spread within and beyond Africa is alarming, with a new, more deadly variant emerging.

The World Health Organisation has declared the mpox outbreaks in Congo and other parts of Africa a global emergency. Confirmed cases have been reported among children and adults in over a dozen countries, with a new, more dangerous form of the virus spreading. Vaccine accessibility remains a critical challenge.

Earlier this week, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention also classified the mpox outbreaks as a public health emergency, reporting over 500 deaths and calling for international aid to curb the virus' spread. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond as a significant concern.

According to the Africa CDC, mpox has been detected in 13 countries this year, with Congo bearing over 96% of cases and deaths. Cases are up 160%, and deaths have increased by 19% compared to the same period last year, with over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths reported so far.

South African infectious diseases expert Salim Abdool Karim remarked that the new version of mpox spreading from Congo shows a death rate of about 3-4%. The WHO had declared mpox a global emergency in 2022 when it spread to over 70 countries, primarily affecting gay and bisexual men and resulting in fewer than 1% of deaths.

Michael Marks of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine supports the emergency declaration, emphasizing the need for more resources to contain the outbreak. He expressed the urgency of the situation, criticizing the delayed global response.

Africa CDC officials reported that nearly 70% of mpox cases in Congo affect children under 15, who accounted for 85% of the deaths. Jacques Alonda, an epidemiologist in Congo, expressed particular concern about the virus spreading in refugee camps. Overcrowded hospitals have exacerbated the situation, as exemplified by a six-week-old baby contracting mpox due to sharing a room with an undiagnosed patient.

The UN health agency noted recent mpox identification in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, linked to the outbreak in Congo. Ivory Coast and South Africa reported a different, less dangerous mpox variant widespread in 2022.

Recent reports indicate a new, deadlier form of mpox emerging in a Congolese mining town, potentially spreading more easily. Mpox now manifests milder symptoms and lesions on the genitals, making it harder to detect and increasing the risk of unknowingly spreading the virus.

Initially, mpox was mainly observed in central and West Africa in sporadic outbreaks linked to close contact with infected wild animals. Western nations managed to curb the 2022 outbreak with vaccines and treatments, scarce in Africa.

Marks suggested considering smallpox vaccines, related to mpox, due to the shortage of licensed mpox vaccines. He stressed the need for extensive vaccine supplies for high-risk populations, including sex workers, children, and adults in outbreak regions.

Despite Congo's request for 4 million mpox vaccine doses, it has not received any. Congolese authorities plan to vaccinate children under 18. The U.S. and Japan have offered to provide vaccines. Notably, Dr Dimie Ogoina highlighted significant gaps in understanding mpox spread in Africa, which could guide vaccination strategies.

The WHO's emergency declaration aims to prompt donor agencies and countries into action, but past responses have been mixed. Dr Boghuma Titanji noted that previous declarations have not effectively mobilized resources, emphasizing the need for decisive global action.

(With inputs from agencies.)