The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a major international warning against Monkeypox on Wednesday, calling the disease a global health emergency. The announcement comes after the Africa Centers for Diseases Control made a similar declaration earlier this week.
According to WHO, Monkeypox (Mpox) was discovered by scientists in the late 1950s. The disease travels from animals to humans but it can also spread from humans to humans through contact with bodily fluids.
Those who contracted Mpox would develop symptoms similar to smallpox including fever, rash, lesions, and swollen lymph nodes. While older versions of Mpox have caused lesions on the chest, hands, and feet, the newer variants have seen these pop up on the genital area.
“The current upsurge of Mpox in parts of Africa, along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain of the monkeypox virus, is an emergency, not only for Africa but for the entire globe,” said Committee Chair Professor Dimie Ogoina. “Mpox, originating in Africa, was neglected there, and later caused a global outbreak in 2022. It is time to act decisively to prevent history from repeating itself.”
The disease has found a home in many African countries including, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. That said, since May 2022, there has been an uptick in cases within Central and Southern Africa and countries outside its previous range. Currently, the Africa CDC has found that at least 517 people have died from the illness, and 17,000 people have caught it this year alone.
WHO has triggered the Emergency Use Listing Process for the two existing Mpox vaccines. This process will accelerate vaccine access for lower-income countries that have not been approved, unlike Nigeria and the DRC, which have that approval.
Now that it has been activated, the Emergency Use Listing will begin the vaccine manufacturing process through its “partners and other potential vaccine donations.” WHO estimates that around $15 million will be needed to get this process off the ground. $ 1.45 million from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies has currently been used.
