The Spread of Monkeypox in Africa Remains an International Public Health Concern
The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General followed up on a recommendation from the Emergency Committee on Thursday, regarding the ongoing international public health concern of monkeypox, also known as “Mpox”. The current public health situation has been in place since August 2024, with the aim of urging governments to intensify surveillance of the disease. No specific consequences have resulted from the declaration of the public health emergency.
According to the WHO on Thursday, the event continues to meet the criteria of a “public health emergency of international concern”. Monkeypox infections have been present in humans since at least the 1970s, with recurring cases outside of Africa and a sharp increase in numbers since 2022. Germany’s Robert Koch Institute has also registered thousands of cases in the country in recent years. However, the risk of a large-scale outbreak of the new variant of the virus in Europe is considered low.
Characteristics of a monkeypox infection include skin changes on the face, hands and soles of the feet. The virus is primarily transmitted through close contact with infected individuals, through wounds, bodily fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated objects, or through sexual contact.
In most patients, the infection runs a benign course and the symptoms resolve on their own within a few weeks. High-risk groups for a severe outcome are pregnant women, newborns, children, the elderly and individuals with an existing weakness of the immune system prior to infection.