Mpox is no longer a global health emergency, WHO declares

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is no longer a global health emergency, the World Health Organization declared Thursday.

Cases of mpox peaked in July and August 2022 and have since been in decline, according to the WHO.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a press conference that there have been almost 90 per cent fewer cases in the last three months than in the three months prior. In total, more than 87,000 cases and 140 deaths have been reported from 111 countries, he said.

1:30 WHO declares end of mpox global health emergency

“I am pleased to declare that the mpox is no longer a global health emergency,” he said. “‘We now see steady progress in controlling the outbreak.”

Ghebreyesus’ declaration came a day after WHO’s emergency committee for mpox recommended that the multi-country outbreak of the virus no longer represents a public health emergency of international concern, he said.

“‘The feared backlash on affected communities has largely not materialized,” he said. “For that we are thankful.”

2:02 Montreal connection behind monkeypox name change to ‘mpox’

Mpox was first declared a global health emergency in July 2022. The virus was characterized by welts forming on the recipient’s skin.

WHO warned, though, that the work fighting against the virus is not over, and it continues to pose “significant health challenges.”