WHO Releases Strategic Framework to Combat Ongoing Global Impact of Mpox Outbreaks

The ongoing global impact of Mpox continues to be a concern for health authorities and communities worldwide. To address this issue, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new framework designed to help prevent and control Mpox outbreaks, eliminate human-to-human transmission of the disease, and reduce the spillover of the virus from animals to humans.

Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), which can result in symptoms such as a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and fever. While most people recover fully from Mpox, some may become very ill. The virus is transmitted from person to person through close contact, including sexual contact, and has animal reservoirs in east, central, and west Africa.

There are two different clades of the virus, clade I and clade II, with clade I outbreaks known to be deadlier than clade II outbreaks. A major emergence of Mpox linked to clade II began in 2017 and has since spread to all regions of the world. While the outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern between July 2022 and May 2023, cases and deaths continue to be reported today, signaling ongoing low-level transmission worldwide.

Additionally, there is currently a significant outbreak of clade I virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where cases have been increasing for decades. Since the beginning of the year, over 6500 cases and 345 deaths have been reported in the DRC, with nearly half of those cases occurring in children under the age of 15 years.

The Strategic framework for enhancing prevention and control of Mpox (2024–2027) provides a roadmap for health authorities, communities