WHO approves recommendations to combat mpox outbreak in Africa

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda have been included in a list approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for special measures to address the mpox outbreak (formerly known as monkeypox).

The Emergency Committee of the International Health Regulations issued temporary recommendations during its first meeting on the mpox outbreak, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

The recommendations are directed at countries experiencing the spread of mpox and address the international public health emergency. The recommendations apply to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, but are not limited to these countries.

Based on the recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO), there is a requirement to strengthen national mechanisms for responding to health emergencies, enhance coordination efforts in combating mpox, improve laboratory diagnostics for the disease, and identify contacts of individuals infected with mpox. The WHO also emphasises the need for increased border control to detect cases of mpox, conducting vaccination campaigns, and improving public awareness about the disease and measures to combat it.

On August 13, the African Union's medical service declared a health emergency across the continent due to the spread of mpox. The disease has been identified in 17 African countries, with over 38,000 infections reported and more than 1,400 deaths. The epicentre of the outbreak is in the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which accounts for 92 per cent of all mpox cases reported in Africa in 2024.