Monkeypox Outbreak: World Health Organization Declares Global Health Emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global health emergency as monkeypox continues to spread across the globe. The latest outbreak has been confirmed in several countries, including Congo, where the majority of cases and deaths have been reported.

According to the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 500 deaths have been reported, and international help is needed to stop the spread of the virus. The WHO’s declaration of a global health emergency aims to raise awareness and garner support from the global community to combat the outbreak.

Monkeypox has been identified in 13 countries in 2024, with a significant increase in cases and deaths compared to the same period in 2023. The disease has been confirmed in both adults and children, with 70% of cases reported in children under the age of 15, and 85% of deaths occurring in the same age range.

Experts, including Salim Abdool Karim, a South African infectious diseases expert, have expressed concern over the potential for further spread of the virus, particularly in central Africa. Karim estimates that the new strain of monkeypox has a death rate ranging between 3-4%.

The current outbreak follows the 2022 monkeypox outbreak, which spread to 70 countries that had not previously reported the presence of the disease. The virus primarily impacted gay and bisexual men, with less than 1% of those affected dying from the virus.

Michael Marks, a professor of medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, believes that the declaration of a global health emergency is necessary to mobilize support and resources for African countries. “It’s a failure of the global community that things had to get this bad to release the resources needed,” he said.

As the world grapples with this growing health crisis, it is essential to prioritize the needs of affected communities and work together to contain the spread of monkeypox.