WHO: Mpox not new COVID — we can tackle it together

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says mpox is not the new COVID.

A new mpox strain called clade 1b, was detected among sex workers in the remote mining town of Kamituga in September 2023, in the south Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The new variant spreads more easily through routine close contact.

At least 450 people have died from the disease in the DRC, with the virus spreading to other countries.

Last week, the WHO designated the mpox outbreak as a virus of “international concern” after more than 17,000 cases of the deadlier strain were found across the African continent.

The last time mpox was declared a global health emergency was in 2022.

Speaking during a media briefing on Tuesday, Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said the focus on the new clade 1 strain gives Europe a chance to refocus on the less severe clade 2 variety, including better public health advice and surveillance.

“We can and must tackle mpox together,” he said.

“So will we choose to put the systems in place to control and eliminate mpox globally? Or we will enter another cycle of panic and neglect?

“How we respond now and in the years to come will prove a critical test for Europe and the world.”

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 39 mpox cases and zero deaths have been recorded across 33 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

On Monday, the Association of Resident Doctors, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (ARD-UITH), said there is no need for Nigerians to panic over mpox.