The World Health Organization announced Friday that it no longer regards the mpox outbreak in Africa as an international health emergency, according to the U.N agency’s director.
This new strain of mpox surfaced in early 2024 in Congo and nearby African nations, spreading primarily through close contact, including sexual transmission. WHO had initially declared it a global health emergency in August last year.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters that the emergency panel established after the outbreak advised the situation is no longer classified as an international emergency, adding, “I have accepted that advice.”
Declaring an international emergency, the organization’s highest health alert, activates the mobilization of resources and boosts public awareness efforts, among other critical measures.
