WHO recommends launching vaccination plans in affected areas

The resurgence of MPOX in several African countries has prompted the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of international concern, the highest level of health alert.

The WHO recommended on Monday, August 19, that countries affected by the mpox variant that recently emerged in Africa launch vaccination plans in areas where cases have appeared. The resurgence of mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), driven by clade 1b that also affects Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a public health emergency of international concern on August 14, the highest level of health alert.

The WHO had already taken such a decision in 2022 when an outbreak of mpox, then carried by clade 2b, had spread across the world. The alert had been lifted in May 2023, but the WHO had made public recommendations for all countries, asking them in particular to prepare national control plans or to maintain surveillance capacities. These recommendations are still valid, but the WHO provided additional recommendations on Monday for “countries experiencing a resurgence of the epidemic, including, but not limited to, the DRC, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda”the organization said.

WHO recommends, among other things, that they: “initiate plans to advance smallpox vaccination activities (…) in areas where cases have emerged (i.e. where the disease has occurred within the previous two to four weeks), targeting those at high risk of infection (e.g. contacts of cases, including sexual contacts, children, health care workers and caregivers)”The DRC hopes to receive the first doses of vaccines against the mpox epidemic next week in this country where the disease has already caused at least 570 deaths, the Minister of Health said.

Regarding international transport, WHO recommends:“establish or strengthen cross-border collaboration agreements concerning the surveillance and management of suspected cases of MPOX, the communication of information to travellers and transport companies”. But it must be implemented. “without resorting to blanket restrictions on travel and trade that would have an unnecessary impact on local, regional or national economies”she emphasizes.

The Ministry of Health reminds that since July 2022, a specific listening device for the mpox virus, responsible in particular for informing, advising and directing towards care systems, has been available. Monkeypox info service is accessible 7 days a week, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., on the toll-free number 0 801 90 80 69.