WHO declares Mpox as PHEIC for the second time

The World Health Organization (WHO) Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, declared mpox (monkeypox) disease a "public health emergency of international concern(PHEIC)" after an upsurge in the mpox case in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other African countries. This is the second time that mpox has been declared as PHEIC by WHO. Earlier in July 2022 it was declared as PHEIC by the WHO. 

The monkeypox disease was renamed mpox by the WHO in November 2022 after complaints by countries that the disease's original name was considered  "racist and stigmatising’ in certain countries of the world. 

No such cases of Mpox have been detected in India so far.

What is PHEIC?

• Designating a disease as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern is the WHO's highest alert level.
• It is based on the WHO’s international health regulations established in 2005, to define countries' rights and obligations in handling cross-border public health occurrences.
• According to the WHO, PHEIC implies a serious, sudden, unusual, or unexpected situation that carries implications for public health beyond an affected country's borders and may require immediate international action.

 What will be the impact of the WHO declaration?   

• The member countries of the WHO are legally bound to respond to the PHEIC and take appropriate steps.
• The WHO declaration of a disease as a "public health emergency of international concern " is designed to encourage international funding to fund research against the disease and develop a vaccine or medicine. 
• It will also help in generating public awareness about the disease.

Health Events declared as  PHEIC by WHO: 

Following is the list of diseases which has been declared as PHEIC by the WHO.

• H1N1 influenza “swine flu” in 2009-The first disease to be declared as PHEIC by the WHO was the disease   H1N1 influenza “swine flu” in 2009. The disease started in  Mexico and spread across the world.
• Wild Polio and vaccine-derived poliovirus in May 2014 -Following the spread of the wild poliovirus in Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan, This PHEIC is still in place.
• Ebola Virus, August 2014 - After an outbreak in West Africa that also spread to Europe and the US
• Zika Virus in February 2016 - The Zika virus which began in Brazil and affected mostly Latin American countires.
• Ebola Virus July 2019 - Second time, after an outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
• COVID-19, January 2020 - After the virus was first detected outside of China. 
• Monkeypox in July 2022.
• Mpox in August 2024.

About Monkeypox or Mpox disease 

• Mpox was first identified in monkeys and is a viral zoonotic disease that is endemic to tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa.
• Because it was transmitted from animal to human, it is called as zoonotic disease.
• Mpox virus is transmitted from one person to another through prolonged contact with an infected person. It is also transmitted through sexual contact or contact through animal lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials such as bedding.
• There is no specific vaccine for monkeypox, but according to WHO, the vaccines used to eradicate smallpox are up to 85% effective against monkeypox.

World Health Organisation (WHO)

• Founded on 7 April 1948 as a United Nations agency.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland 
• Director General of WHO:  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
• Member Countries: 194