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On 14 August 2024, the World Health Organization announced that an upsurge of Mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (IHR).
This definition implies that a situation is:
- Serious, sudden, unusual or unexpected;
- Carries implications for public health beyond the affected State’s national border; and
- May require immediate international action.
Mpox is a disease with symptoms similar to smallpox. It can be transmitted by animals and humans, through contact with bodily fluids, lesions on the skin or on internal mucosal surfaces, respiratory droplets and via contaminated objects. Most people fully recover from this illness.
You may find useful and informative the key facts WHO has available on its website.
The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has also quick facts available on its website.
There are no changes to travel advice at present.
