WHO removes ‘ampox’ from list of international health emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) has removed the epidemic of Pox from the category of international health emergency. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has taken this decision accepting the recommendation of the Emergency Committee.

Dr Tedros said, “On Friday, the Committee met again and recommended that the current situation is no longer a public health emergency of international concern, which I accepted.” This decision has been taken based on the continued decline in cases and mortality in affected countries such as Congo, Burundi, Sierra Leone and Uganda.

However, WHO has clarified that the end of the emergency does not mean the end of the threat. The Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC) has called for maintaining vigilance, considering ampox still a continental health emergency. Ghana, Liberia, Kenya, Zambia and Tanzania have seen an increase in new cases, although weekly confirmed cases have fallen by 52% across the continent overall.

Ampox is a viral zoonotic disease transmitted from animals to humans. Initial symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a skin rash. Most infected individuals recover within a few weeks, but the risk is more severe for children and people with HIV.

As of May 2022, cases of ampox have been reported in more than 100 countries around the world. The WHO has stated that new outbreaks remain likely, so continued surveillance and development of response capacity is essential.