In the aftermath of the third meeting of the Emergency Committee on 25 February, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared that Mpox continues to meet all the International Health Regulations (IHR) criteria to be designated a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The decision was informed by several factors, including the escalating number of infections, the geographical expansion of the epidemic within the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and the absence of adequate funding for the implementation of the response strategy.
This designation marks the second time in two years that the WHO has declared a global health emergency due to Mpox. The first declaration was made in July 2022, when the epidemic epicentre was in several European countries. The second declaration was made on 14 August 2024, due to increasing cases recorded in the DRC and neighbouring countries. The initial PHEIC declaration pertained to the clade IIb viral strain, while the subsequent declaration was prompted by the propagation of a novel viral strain, designated clade Ib. This strain was anticipated to be more virulent than its predecessor.
