The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized the outbreak of monkeypox (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, the UN said in a news release. The basis for this decision was the increasing number and geographical spread of cases, the complexity of its control on the ground, and the need to maintain a collective response to the problem by countries and partners.
The current smallpox outbreak was declared a public health emergency of international concern in August 2024, the second time in two years. WHO had previously developed a global plan to combat it, using the Global Health Emergencies Corps (GHEC) for the first time. The organization also approved two vaccines for emergency use, one of which is for children aged one year and older.
