WHO Ends Mpox Emergency Status, Global Cases Drop Significantly

Blood samples of the Monkeypox or Mpox virus (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The World Health Organization (WHO) officially revoked the global public health emergency status related to the Mpox outbreak. The decision was announced on Friday, September 5, after cases and death rates showed a steady downward trend in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and a number of other affected countries.

WHO previously established the status of "public health emergency of international concern" (PHEIC) in August 2024, following the outbreak of thempox epidemic or monkeypox, especially at DRC.

The revocation of the emergency status was delivered directly by the Director-General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, after receiving a recommendation from the emergency committee at a quarterly meeting on Thursday.

"This decision is based on a continued decline in cases and deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other affected countries, including Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Uganda," Tedros said.

Even so, he stressed that the revocation of PHEIC does not mean the threat of the outbreak has ended. "This situation remains a health emergency at the African continent level," he added.

WHO declared a global health emergency status in July 2022. However, thanks to mass vaccination and the demand for PHEIC revocation does not mean the threat of an outbreak has ended. "This situation remains a health emergency at the African continent level," he added.

Mpox, which comes from a family of smallpox viruses, can be transmitted from animals to humans and humans through close physical contact. This disease was first detected in humans in 1970 at DRC, at that time it was still named Zare. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, to large skin lesions resembling boils, and in certain cases it can be fatal.

Mpox has two main subtypes, namely klade 1 and klade 2. The virus, which has been endemic for decades in Central Africa, began to attract the world's attention in May 2022, when the klade 2 spread across the continent, especially attacking gay and bisexual men.

WHO then declared a global health emergency status in July 2022. However, thanks to mass vaccination and increased public awareness, the status was revoked in May 2023.

A year later, a new epidemic re-emerged, triggered by the old 1a klade strain and a new variant of the 1b klade, thereby bulging global concerns before finally PHEIC's status was revoked again in Septembe 2025.