WHO Declares Mpox Outbreak in Africa a Public Health Emergency, Echoing Early HIV Crisis
WHO Declares Mpox Outbreak in Africa a Public Health Emergency, Echoing Early HIV Crisis
An ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa has been likened to the early days of the HIV crisis, with the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring it a public health emergency. Scientists warn that the situation mirrors the initial struggles with HIV, emphasizing the urgent need for increased access to testing, vaccines, and treatments in the affected regions.
Medical experts are calling for a swift response, urging not only the acceleration of resources but also campaigns to combat the stigma surrounding the virus. The outbreak, particularly severe in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has resulted in 38,465 cases and 1,456 deaths across Africa since January 2022. Of these, over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths have occurred in the DRC this year alone.
The virus includes clades I and II, along with a newly identified variant, clade Ib, which seems to be driving the outbreak in the DRC and neighboring countries. Children, in particular, appear to be at higher risk from this new strain.
The WHO's declaration of a “public health emergency of international concern” puts mpox in the same category as past global threats like Ebola, Covid-19, and the 2022 mpox outbreak in Europe. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed deep concern over the situation, noting that the emergence of clade Ib in eastern DRC and its spread to nearby countries is especially alarming.
To address the crisis, the WHO has already allocated $1.5 million from its contingency fund and plans to secure the remaining $15 million needed for ongoing efforts in the region. Tedros has called on international donors to contribute more resources.
Trudie Lang, a global health research professor at Oxford University, highlighted the similarities between this outbreak and the early days of HIV, particularly the spread of the virus through sexual networks. Vulnerable groups, such as young, exploited sex workers, are at high risk, and public health campaigns will be crucial to reduce stigma and encourage treatment-seeking behavior.
Lang also noted reports from frontline workers of pregnancy complications and babies born with mpox lesions, raising concerns about transmission in the womb. There are still significant unknowns about the virus, including the number of undiagnosed cases in the community.
“What worries me most,” Lang said, “is the potential for mild, hidden infections, particularly those transmitted sexually. We still don’t know when the virus is most infectious or how it spreads.”
She added that while the virus might be quickly contained if it reached Europe or the U.S., similar success is unlikely in impoverished regions of Africa.
Dr. Ayoade Alakija, chair of the Africa Vaccine Delivery Alliance and the diagnostics non-profit Find, argued that if this outbreak occurred in Europe, it would already be considered a major international health emergency. She urged that the WHO’s declaration should spur action and funding to address the crisis more effectively.
“There’s a critical need for deeper research into mpox transmission to guide control efforts,” Alakija said, stressing the importance of equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments. She pointed out that most of these resources have been pre-ordered by wealthier countries, with only one diagnostic test available.
Alakija also expressed concern that without adequate testing, the interplay between mpox and other viruses like HIV remains unclear, potentially exacerbating the outbreak’s severity and spread. She warned that delays in addressing the virus in the DRC have almost inevitably led to its spread to neighboring countries, increasing the risk of a broader outbreak.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) had already declared mpox a public health emergency, with its director general, Dr. Jean Kaseya, calling for aggressive efforts to contain and eliminate the virus. Responding to this, Dr. Boghuma Titanji, an assistant professor of medicine at Emory University, expressed hope that the declaration would prompt African governments to allocate necessary funds to combat the outbreak.
In early August, the African Union approved $10.4 million for Africa CDC’s response, but Kaseya estimates that the continent will need around $4 billion to effectively tackle the crisis.
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