WHO Revokes Global Emergency Status Of Monkeypox Disease

JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially announced the lifting of the public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) status related to monkeypox.

The announcement followed the fifth meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee regarding the Mpox outbreak. This decision was based on the continued decline in cases and deaths in Congo and other affected countries, including Uganda, Burundi, and Sierra Leone.

However, even though the emergency status has been lifted, evaluation and urgent efforts to address Mpox must continue. The WHO decided to downgrade the PHEIC status based on the advice of the Emergency Committee, which meets every three months to evaluate the outbreak.

"Of course, lifting the emergency declaration does not mean the threat is over, or that our response will stop," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, quoted from his personal Twitter account on Monday, September 8, 2025.

"While we are lifting the emergency status, we need to maintain the sense of urgency," said Dimie Ogoina of the Emergency Committee.

The emergency status was lifted because there is now a better understanding of the factors driving transmission and the risk of Mpox severity. The most affected countries have also developed sustainable response capacities for the disease.

Meanwhile, the WHO previously declared Mpox a public health emergency in August of last year. At that time, an outbreak of a new Mpox variant began spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries.

Monkeypox itself, also known as monkeypox, can be spread through close contact. It is usually mild, but can be fatal in rare cases.

This disease causes flu-like symptoms and purulent lesions on the body. Children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV, are all at higher risk of developing complications from Mpox.