WHO: Mpox Virus Can Be Controlled with Coordinated Global Efforts

The World Health Organization (WHO) Secretary-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced that the ongoing mpox outbreak can be controlled with coordinated global efforts, Anadolu Agency reported yesterday.

Since the outbreak began in 2022, over 100,000 confirmed cases have been reported, with a significant increase in Africa. Currently, transmission is primarily concentrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, accounting for 90% of reported cases in 2024, alongside over 16,000 suspected cases and 575 deaths this year.

The WHO declared the virus a public health emergency of international concern, as cases of the Clade 1b strain have emerged in neighboring countries like Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Gabon, and Uganda, as well as in Thailand and Sweden. In response, the WHO and its partners have developed a Global mpox Virus Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan. This plan aims to implement comprehensive surveillance strategies, enhance research, ensure equitable access to medical countermeasures, reduce zoonotic transmission, and empower communities in outbreak prevention.

The WHO is collaborating with various international, regional, national, and local partners to improve preparedness and coordinate responses, particularly in Africa, where the need for intervention is critical.