On September 5, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the mpox outbreak in Africa no longer qualifies as an international health emergency. This decision comes after more than a year of heightened global alert, resource mobilization, and public health campaigns aimed at curbing the spread of the virus, which had emerged in early 2024 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring African nations. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a press briefing, stated, "This decision is based on sustained declines in cases and deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in other affected countries, including Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Uganda."
The journey to this point has been anything but simple. When the new form of mpox began spreading rapidly through close contact—including sexual transmission—in Congo and nearby countries, alarm bells rang across the global health community. In August 2024, the WHO declared the outbreak a global health emergency, its highest level of alert, a move that triggers the release of resources and ramps up public awareness efforts. The emergency committee, which meets every three months to evaluate the outbreak, played a crucial role in monitoring the situation and ultimately advising that the emergency status be lifted.
Yet, the lifting of the emergency declaration is not a declaration of victory. As Tedros emphasized, "Lifting the emergency declaration does not mean the threat is over, nor that our response will stop." The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, for one, still maintains mpox as a continent-wide public health emergency, underscoring the ongoing risks and the need for continued vigilance.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a rare disease caused by a virus in the same family as smallpox. The disease is endemic in parts of Africa, where people have historically been infected through bites from rodents or small animals. Symptoms can vary widely, from mild fever, chills, and body aches to more severe manifestations such as painful, scarring rashes and lesions on the face, hands, chest, and genitals. According to the Associated Press, in more serious cases, the infection can be especially dangerous for young children—most mpox deaths occur in children under five—and people with compromised immune systems.
The 2024-2025 outbreak was particularly concerning due to the emergence of a new, deadlier form of the virus, known as clade I, which spread widely in eastern and central Africa. The Democratic Republic of the Congo became the epicenter, recording more than 15,000 cases through August 17, 2025, including 30 fatalities. Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Burundi bore the brunt of the remaining cases, while 21 African countries reported ongoing transmission in the six weeks leading up to the emergency’s end. Globally, over 34,000 confirmed mpox cases were reported from the start of 2025 through July 31, resulting in 138 deaths.
Notably, while a handful of cases were identified in travelers to countries outside Africa—including China, Germany, Turkey, and the UK—these did not lead to community spread. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported five cases of the clade I virus in travelers returning from Africa, but no further transmission was detected. This limited international spread was a key factor in the WHO’s decision to downgrade the threat level.
Behind the scenes, the global response to the outbreak was robust. According to STAT News, the emergency declaration spurred political commitment and resource mobilization, helping countries expand diagnostic access, improve surveillance, and build up vaccination networks. Just under one million doses of mpox vaccine have been administered, and care systems have been strengthened in many affected regions. Dr. Dimie Ogoina, a Nigerian infectious disease expert and chair of the WHO emergency committee, noted, "Many countries have improved their ability to diagnose," which in turn enabled better identification and containment of the virus.
The WHO’s declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is a powerful tool, granting the director-general the authority to issue temporary recommendations to countries about how to address the threat. The 2024-2025 mpox emergency followed a previous PHEIC from July 2022 to May 2023, when a different version of the virus—clade II—caused a global health crisis, primarily among men who have sex with men. That outbreak, while rarely fatal, left many suffering from painful skin lesions for weeks before waning later in 2022.
As with many infectious diseases, the story of mpox is one of adaptation and learning. Tedros and Ogoina both highlighted that health officials now have a much better understanding of how the virus spreads and what factors increase the risk of severe outcomes. While infrastructure remains patchy in some places, the strides made in diagnostics, surveillance, and vaccination are significant. Still, the experts caution against complacency. "Mpox remains a public health concern, globally and especially in Africa, and there’s a need for us not to be complacent about the response strategy and not throw away what we have gained," Ogoina told STAT News.
The virus is expected to continue circulating, with the potential for flare-ups. Tedros stressed the ongoing need to protect those most vulnerable to severe infections, such as people with HIV and young children. The improved public health measures and sustained declines in case counts were crucial to the decision to end the emergency, but as the WHO chief made clear, "Of course, lifting the emergency declaration does not mean the threat is over, nor that our response will stop."
Looking ahead, both short- and long-term strategies are needed to keep mpox at bay. The emergency declaration’s end should be seen as a milestone, not an endpoint. Countries must continue to invest in surveillance, vaccination, and care infrastructure, and the lessons learned from this outbreak will be vital in responding to future threats—whether from mpox or the next virus to emerge.
For now, the world can breathe a cautious sigh of relief. The international community’s rapid response, improved diagnostics, and expanded vaccination campaigns have made a real difference. But as history has shown, infectious diseases rarely disappear entirely. The vigilance and commitment sparked by the emergency must not fade, lest hard-won gains be lost to the next unexpected twist.
