The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it will convene its Emergency Committee next week to assess whether mpox continues to be classified as a global health emergency. In August, the WHO declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, the highest level of alert, following the spread of a new variant, clade Ib, in parts of Africa.
As reported by economictimes, as of November 3, there have been 46,794 confirmed and suspected mpox cases in Africa this year, including 1,081 deaths, according to a WHO report. The Democratic Republic of Congo is the most affected country, followed by Burundi and Uganda.
Mpox typically spreads through close contact and, while usually mild, can be fatal in rare instances. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the skin. This month, initial vaccine doses have been allocated to the nine African countries most severely impacted by the outbreak.