2023-05-11 16:03:30
The organization considers it sufficiently under control almost a year after the start of its outbreak.
The WHO on Thursday lifted its maximum alert level for the mpox epidemic (formerly called monkeypox), deeming it sufficiently under control almost a year after the start of its outbreak.
This epidemicno longer represents a public health emergency of international concern“, declared at a press conference the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, thus following the recommendation of the WHO emergency committee.
Ever-present threat
This announcement comes exactly one week after the lifting of the WHO’s highest level of alert for Covid. “While the mpox and Covid-19 emergencies are over, the threat of new waves remains for both. Both viruses keep circulating and both keep killing“, however, warned Dr. Tedros.
Outbreaks of mpox had been observed, from May 2022, in Europe and the United States, apart from the ten countries in central and western Africa where the disease has long been endemic. The Public Health Emergency of International Concern was declared on July 23, 2022 by the Director General of the WHO.
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Since then, the contamination curve has experienced a sharp decline. There was thus “nearly 90% fewer cases in the last three months compared to the previous three monthsnoted Dr. Tedros. So far, around 87,400 cases have been recorded in 111 countries and the disease has claimed 140 lives, according to the latest count, cited by the director general.
The disease – endemic in some West and Central African countries – is characterized by rashes, which may appear on the genitals or in the mouth, and may be accompanied by bouts of fever, sore throat or pain in the lymph nodes.
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