WHO forms emergence committee on Mpox

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently grappling with one of its most severe outbreaks of Mpox to date, with more than 14,000 reported cases and 511 deaths since the beginning of the year.

This alarming surge, coupled with the virus's spread to previously unaffected provinces and neighboring countries, has prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to convene an Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (IHR).

The Committee, comprising independent experts from various disciplines worldwide, will advise the WHO Director-General on whether the outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

This move underscores the growing concern over the potential for further international spread, both within Africa and beyond.

Mpox outbreaks in the DRC are not new. The country has experienced recurring outbreaks for decades, with the number of reported cases increasing steadily each year. However, the situation has reached a critical point.

The number of cases reported in the first six months of this year alone matches the total reported in all of last year, signaling an unprecedented escalation.

What is particularly concerning is the spread of the virus to neighboring countries that have not previously reported Mpox cases.

In the past month, approximately 50 confirmed and suspected cases have been reported in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. This marks the first time these countries have reported Mpox cases, raising alarms about the virus's rapid geographic spread.

The ongoing outbreak in Eastern DRC is caused by a new offshoot of clade 1, known as clade 1b.

This variant is more virulent than the clade 2 strain responsible for the global outbreak that began in 2022.

Clade 1b has already been confirmed in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, while investigations are ongoing in Burundi to determine the specific clade responsible for its recent cases.

Meanwhile, other clades continue to circulate in Africa. Clade 1a has been reported this year in the DRC, the Central African Republic, and the Republic of Congo, while clade 2 has been identified in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, and South Africa.

In response to the escalating crisis, the WHO has developed a regional response plan requiring US$ 15 million to support surveillance, preparedness, and response activities.

To kick-start this effort, the WHO has released US$ 1 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to scale up the response.

Additional funds are expected to be released in the coming days to further bolster the response effort.

"The WHO is collaborating with the governments of affected countries, the Africa CDC, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society, and other partners to understand and address the drivers of these outbreaks. The organization has emphasized that stopping the transmission of Mpox will require a comprehensive approach, with communities at the heart of the response," stated WHO director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

There are currently two vaccines for Mpox that have been approved by WHO-listed national regulatory authorities.

These vaccines have been recommended by the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE).

To ensure that these vaccines are accessible, particularly in lower-income countries that have not yet issued their own national regulatory approval, the WHO Director-General has initiated the process for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) of both vaccines.

According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, "this process will accelerate vaccine access and enable partners, including Gavi and UNICEF, to procure vaccines for distribution."

The WHO is also working with international partners, including Japan, the United States, the European Union, and vaccine manufacturers, to facilitate donations and ensure equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other essential tools.

This collaborative effort is being coordinated through the interim Medical Countermeasures Network, a platform established to support global health emergencies.