Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), continues to impact people globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new framework to help health authorities, communities, and stakeholders prevent and control mpox outbreaks. The goal is to eliminate human-to-human transmission of the disease and reduce the spillover of the virus from animals to humans.
Symptoms of mpox include a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and fever. While most people recover fully, some may become very ill. The virus can spread from person to person through close contact, including sexual contact. There are animal reservoirs of the virus in east, central, and west Africa, where spillovers to humans can occasionally occur, leading to further outbreaks.
There are two clades of the virus: clade I and clade II. Clade I outbreaks are more deadly than clade II outbreaks. A significant emergence of mpox linked to clade II began in 2017 and has since spread to all regions of the world. While the outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern between July 2022 and May 2023, cases and deaths are still being reported today, showing that low-level transmission is ongoing worldwide.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), there is currently a major outbreak of clade I virus. Cases have been increasing for decades, with over 6500 cases and 345 deaths reported since the beginning of the year. Nearly half of these cases are among children under the age of 15.
The Strategic Framework for enhancing prevention and control of mpox (2024–2027) offers a roadmap for global health authorities, communities, and stakeholders to manage mpox outbreaks in all settings
