The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized the monkeypox outbreak (or mpox in the new terminology) in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other African countries, with imported cases on other continents, as a public health emergency of international concern, according to a UN news release. The decision was based on the increasing number and geographic spread of cases, the challenges of local response, and the need to maintain a collective response by countries and partners.
The current smallpox outbreak was declared a public health emergency of international concern in August 2024, marking the second time in two years. The WHO previously developed a global response plan and, for the first time, deployed the Global Health Emergency Response Corps (GHEC) to this end. The organization also approved two vaccines for emergency use, one of which is for children aged one year and older.
