The escalating mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other countries was declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on 14 August 2024.Over 120 countries have confirmed more than 106 000 cases of mpox since the onset of the global outbreak in 2022.
In 2024 alone, there were 25 237 suspected and confirmed cases and 723 deaths from different outbreaks in 15 countries of the African Region (based on data from 8 September 2024).Recommendations issued on the advice of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee asked States Parties to ensure "equitable access to safe, effective and quality-assured countermeasures for mpox.”Donors have stepped up quickly to support WHO’s efforts to ensure global health security with public health interventions, vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.Innovating while delivering - a new access-and-allocation mechanism for vaccines, treatments, testsA 3-week-old girl suffering from mpox in the emergency room at Kavumu Hospital in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on 30 August, 2024.
The girl's mother said she had been at the hospital for almost two weeks with little improvement in her daughter's condition due to a lack of medication.
Credit:WHO/Guerchom NdeboWith the recent surge in mpox cases, coupled with the limited availability of vaccines and other medical countermeasures, a collaborative and transparent process to distribute critical resources fairly was urgently needed.