- WHO says Mpox remains a global health emergency due to rising cases and spread.
- Over 100,000 cases were reported in 122 countries.
- Countries urged to boost surveillance and response.
The World Health Organisation, on Monday, announced that the Mpox upsurge continues to meet the criteria of a public health emergency of international concern outlined in the International Health Regulations.
EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Director-General of WHO, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, made this announcement after the fourth meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of Mpox, held on June 5, 2025.
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A statement by the WHO, “advised the Director-General that the event continues to constitute a public health emergency.”
According to the committee, this was based on the continuing rise in the number of cases, including a recent increase in West Africa, and likely ongoing undetected transmission in some countries beyond the African continent.
It added that the ongoing operational challenges in responding to the event, including surveillance and diagnostics, as well as a lack of funding, make prioritising response interventions challenging.
The Committee said, “The Director-General concurred with the committee’s advice and also concurred with and issued the committee’s revised temporary recommendations to member states experiencing Mpox outbreaks.
“The recommendations guide countries’ efforts to prevent and control the spread of the disease.”
The statement noted that the full report of the fourth meeting would be issued next week.
On August 14, 2024, the upsurge of Mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its spread to neighbouring countries was first determined to be a public health emergency of international concern by the Director-General.
Afterwards, the emergency committee has met on three additional occasions, each time advising the Director-General that the event continued to constitute a PHEIC.
As of May 13, 2025, data from the global health body reported 7,411 Mpox cases and 22 deaths in the DRC; 4,590 cases and 28 deaths in Uganda; 1,387 cases and 10 deaths in Sierra Leone; and 937 cases in Burundi, with no reported deaths.
“As of June 2, 2025, the countries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia are experiencing sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus; there is also evidence of sustained transmission in the Central African Republic and Republic of the Congo.
“As of June 2, 2025, countries reporting travel-associated cases of Clade I Mpox since January 1, 2024, include Angola, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Zimbabwe.
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“The ongoing global outbreak of Clade II Mpox has caused more than 100,000 cases in 122 total countries, including 115 countries where Mpox was not previously reported. The outbreak is caused by the subclade IIb,” it noted.
