Mpox Emergency

The WHO continues to monitor the mpox situation – more than two years after declaring it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in July 2022. Whilst Central and West African nations saw an unprecedented spread over this period, global efforts from pharmaceutical industries, as well as national and international health organizations, charities, and NGOs, have managed to stabilize the situation somewhat through vaccination campaigns and public health education measures. Sporadic cases and localized outbreaks continue to occur, however – especially in areas with lower vaccination coverage or where public health measures have been relaxed. Cases reported this year in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have already exceeded those of 2023.

The disease was first discovered in 1958 in monkeys held in captivity for research purposes, hence its original name, monkeypox, which was changed to mpox in 2022 in case of any suspected racial connotations. The first human case was reported in 1970, and there were no cases reported outside of Nigeria and the DRC prior to 2022. Symptoms are primarily vestibules, pustules, and lesions on the skin, accompanied by fever, headaches, muscle and joint pain, and exhaustion.

The WHO, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance in high-risk populations, has been working on integrating surveillance into broader public health systems. 

Meanwhile, Chatham House Associate Fellow and Global Health Policy Advisor Ebere Okereke, who would like to think that the world has learned lessons from COVID-19: “The question now is what the global response will look like. Will the international community rise to the occasion and demonstrate a commitment to equitable global health security? The answer to this question will shape the future of global health governance and determine our collective ability to respond effectively to continental and global health threats.”

The total number of laboratory-confirmed worldwide cases of mpox as of 1 January 2022 to 30 June 2024 is approaching 100,000 (correct at time of publication) from 116 countries, with the total number of deaths among confirmed cases during the same period being 208. 

Vaccine manufacturers have been invited to submit an expression of interest for emergency use listing, but just one smallpox vaccine is approved for monkeypox by the EMA and FDA to date: Bavarian Nordic’s Jynneos. Although Jynneos is approved only for use in adults, the company has submitted data to the EMA supporting its safety and efficacy in adolescents. Approval for use in these patients is pending.

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