World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has disclosed that the mpox upsurge continues to meet the criteria of a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) set forth in the International Health Regulations (IHR).
The announcement follows the fourth meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of mpox, held on Thursday, June 5, 2025.
The Committee, recognising progress in the capacity to respond in certain countries, advised the Director-General that the event continues to constitute a PHEIC, based on the continuing rise in the number of cases, including a recent increase in West Africa, and likely ongoing undetected transmission in some countries beyond the African continent.
Ongoing operational challenges in responding to the event, including concerning surveillance and diagnostics, as well as a lack of funding make prioritising response interventions challenging and require continued international support.
The Director-General concurred with the Committee’s advice.
The Director-General also concurred with and issued the Committee’s revised temporary recommendations to Member States experiencing mpox outbreaks. The recommendations guide countries’ efforts to prevent and control the spread of the disease.
The full report of the fourth meeting will be issued next week.
The upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its spread to neighbouring countries was first determined to be a public health emergency of international concern by the Director-General on August 14, 2024. Since then, the Emergency Committee has met on three additional occasions, each time advising the Director-General that the event continues to constitute a PHEIC.
The list of members and advisors of the IHR Emergency Committee and previous statements are available here.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is an infectious viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus. Common symptoms include a skin rash or mucosal lesions, fever, headache, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes.
The disease can be transmitted through close contact with infected individuals, contaminated materials, or infected animals. Treatment primarily focuses on relieving symptoms.