So, back in 2022, monkeypox was a pretty big deal, not just in the U.S., but all over the place. Fast forward two years, and guess what?
The World Health Organization (WHO) is back at it, ringing the alarm bells about monkeypox all over again. Yep, it’s still causing trouble, and now it’s officially a global health emergency—again.
It all started in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where monkeypox decided to throw a wild party and then invited itself to the neighboring countries.
And now it’s like, “Hey, why not take over the world?” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s top guy, is understandably not thrilled about this development. He’s basically saying, “This new batch of monkeypox is spreading fast in the eastern DRC, and now it’s showing up in countries next door, which is, frankly, kind of scary.”
He didn’t stop there, though. Dr. Tedros made it clear that this isn’t just Africa’s problem—this is everyone’s problem. Imagine trying to put out a fire, and just when you think you’ve got it under control, another one pops up.
That’s how he’s describing the situation. And with different versions of monkeypox making themselves at home in various African countries, he’s calling for a global effort to tackle the problem before things really get out of hand.
Professor Dimie Ogoina, another big shot at WHO, chimed in too. He’s like, “We didn’t take monkeypox seriously when it was just in Africa, and look where that got us—a global outbreak in 2022. Let’s not make the same mistake twice, people.”
Now, about those numbers. The WHO is reporting that cases of monkeypox in the DRC and nearby areas have been on the rise since 2022, but recently, they’ve started skyrocketing. So far this year, there have been 15,600 cases—already more than last year’s total.
And here’s the kicker: this particular strain, clade 1b, is nastier and spreading to places like Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda, which have never dealt with it before. It’s like monkeypox has a passport and is hitting up new destinations.
To make things even more complicated, other countries are dealing with their own monkeypox strains, which makes controlling the outbreak feel like a game of whack-a-mole.
So, what’s the plan? The WHO is working to get two monkeypox vaccines to the places that need them the most. They’re also getting those vaccines approved for Emergency Use, which is basically a fast pass to getting them out the door and into people’s arms. To fund all these efforts, the WHO has dipped into its emergency fund to the tune of $1.45 million and is asking for an additional $15 million to keep the ball rolling.
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s regional director for Africa, wrapped things up by saying that they’re already working hard with local communities and governments to get things under control. She’s basically saying, “We’re on it, but this is a team effort, folks.”
