The World Health Organization (WHO) has reaffirmed that the mpox outbreak continues to pose a public health emergency of international concern.
This conclusion, made by the WHO’s emergency committee on November 22, was based on the rising number of cases, their ongoing spread across regions, operational challenges, and the need for coordinated responses among countries and partners.
This announcement extends the declaration first issued by the UN agency in August. Africa remains the hardest-hit continent, with 19 countries reporting cases since the beginning of the year.
Canada has also confirmed its first case of Clade I mpox, linked to travel from central and eastern Africa, where the outbreak remains most severe, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Authorities said over 50,000 people have been vaccinated in areas with the most cases.
The government plans to roll out a vaccination program in the capital Kinshasa next week.
Last week, the World Health Organization approved a second mpox vaccine for emergency use listing (EUL) – a process to evaluate the quality, safety and efficacy of medical products.
To date, Africa has reported more than 46,000 suspected mpox cases in the current outbreak, including 1,081 deaths.
