WHO: Mpox also no longer a global public health emergency
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Key takeaways:
- WHO ended the global public health emergency for mpox, less than a week after also ending the emergency declaration for COVID-19.
- Mpox case counts have declined 90% in the last 3 months.
WHO this week ended the public health emergency of international concern declared last year for the global mpox outbreak.
According to WHO, there were 90% fewer cases of mpox reported in the last 3 months compared with the 3 months before that. Overall, there have been more than 87,000 cases and 140 deaths in 111 nations, WHO said. This includes 30,395 cases and 42 deaths in the United States, according to the CDC.
WHO’s emergency committee for mpox met this week and recommended that the outbreak no longer be considered an emergency, noting the decline in cases.
“I have accepted that advice and am pleased to declare that mpox is no longer a global health emergency,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, MSc.
The announcement came less than a week after Tedros ended the global public health emergency for COVID-19.
Tedros declared the mpox emergency on his own last July, against the advice of his emergency committee — a first for a WHO director-general. Ten days later, the U.S. declared its own emergency after the national case count rose by roughly 2,000 in a week.
Days later, the FDA authorized fractional dosing of the Jynneos mpox vaccine and the CDC mounted a series of programs to raise awareness and vaccinate people at highest risk for the disease.
WHO said it will transition to a longer term plan for improving surveillance, research and control measures for mpox, with a focus on African countries and other underserved communities.
“As with COVID-19, [the end of the declaration] does not mean that the work is over,” Tedros said. “Mpox continues to pose significant public health challenges that need a robust, proactive and sustainable response.”
References:
- CDC. Mpox: 2022 U.S. map & case count. https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/response/2022/us-map.html. Published May 10, 2023. Accessed May 12, 2023.
- WHO. Fifth meeting of the international health regulations (2005) (IHR) emergency committee on the multi-country outbreak of mpox (monkeypox). https://www.who.int/news/item/11-05-2023-fifth-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-(ihr)-emergency-committee-on-the-multi-country-outbreak-of-monkeypox-(mpox). Published May 11, 2023. Accessed May 12, 2023.
- WHO. WHO director-general’s video message at fifth IHR emergency committee meeting for the multi-country outbreak of mpox. https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-video-message-at-fifth-ihr-emergency-committee-meeting-for-the-multi-country-outbreak-of-mpox---10-may-2023. Published May 10, 2023. Accessed May 12, 2023.
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