On September 5, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) made a pivotal announcement: mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, no longer constitutes an international health emergency. This decision comes just over a year after the agency’s highest alert was raised in response to a surge of infections that swept across Africa and beyond, fueled by a new, fast-spreading mutant strain called clade Ib.
The declaration marks a turning point in the global response to a disease that, at its height, had the world on edge. According to Reuters, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “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.” He emphasized that the move follows advice from the WHO’s Emergency Committee, a panel of global health experts that convenes every three months to assess the situation and recommend a course of action.
But what exactly led to this dramatic shift? The answer lies in the numbers and the concerted efforts of health authorities. Since the start of 2025, over 34,000 confirmed mpox cases and 138 deaths have been reported worldwide, with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sierra Leone bearing the brunt of the outbreak. The WHO notes that case numbers have plummeted by 76 percent since the epidemic’s peak, with weekly confirmed cases in some regions dropping by more than half. This decline, as reported by Xinhua, is not just a statistical blip—it’s been sustained over several months, a key factor in the decision to lift the emergency status.
Yet, as the WHO was quick to underscore, the end of the emergency declaration is not the end of the threat. “Of course, lifting the emergency declaration does not mean the threat is over, nor that our response will stop,” Dr. Tedros told the press. The agency and its partners, including the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), remain vigilant. The Africa CDC, in fact, declared on September 4 that mpox continues to be a public health emergency on the continent, citing fresh surges in Ghana, Liberia, Kenya, Zambia, and Tanzania, and new introductions of the virus in countries such as Malawi, Ethiopia, Senegal, Togo, Gambia, and Mozambique.
Why is Africa still on high alert? Despite the overall downward trend, the virus remains entrenched in several populations. The new clade Ib strain has proven particularly resilient in sub-Saharan Africa, where health systems are often stretched thin. According to a recent WHO situation report, at least 21 African countries are still experiencing ongoing transmission, with different variants circulating in different regions. Kenya, for example, launched a vaccination campaign last week following a spike in cases.
Mpox is a viral zoonotic disease, meaning it can jump from animals to humans. It spreads primarily through close contact—be it skin-to-skin, sexual contact, or even talking or breathing in close proximity to an infected person. Initial symptoms are flu-like: fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, and swollen lymph nodes. These are soon followed by the hallmark pus-filled lesions that can appear on the face, hands, chest, and genitals. While most people recover within a few weeks, the disease can be severe or fatal, especially in vulnerable groups.
Children, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems—particularly those living with HIV—face the highest risk of complications. The death rate is significantly higher in countries with limited healthcare resources. In the DRC, for instance, about 3 percent of those infected have died, a sobering figure that highlights the ongoing need for vigilance and support.
Professor Dimie Ogoina, a member of the WHO Emergency Committee, put it bluntly: “While we are removing the emergency, we need to keep the urgency. This is not a time for us to reduce the investments in terms of financial investment, partnership, solidarity, especially for most affected countries in the African continent.” His words echo the broader sentiment among health officials that the world cannot afford to let its guard down.
Since May 2022, more than 100 countries and regions have reported mpox cases, making this outbreak one of the most geographically widespread in recent memory. While the majority of cases have been concentrated in Africa, travel-related infections have cropped up in Britain, the United States, Thailand, India, and other countries. Fortunately, most of these have not led to sustained community transmission outside of Africa.
One of the key reasons for optimism, according to WHO, is the improved understanding of how mpox spreads and who is most at risk. Countries hard-hit by the outbreak have developed stronger response capacities, including better surveillance, targeted vaccination campaigns, and public education efforts. These measures have been credited with helping to drive down case numbers and limit the disease’s reach.
Still, sporadic outbreaks continue to flare up, particularly in parts of West, East, and Central Africa. The possibility of new surges or fresh introductions of the virus remains a real concern. The WHO and Africa CDC have pledged to continue coordinating outbreak control measures, with a focus on protecting the most vulnerable—especially young children and people living with HIV.
Looking back, the decision to declare mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in August 2024 was not taken lightly. As The Guardian explains, such declarations are rare—there have only been eight in the past two decades—and are reserved for “extraordinary events” that demand global coordination. The goal is to mobilize resources and spur international action before a crisis spirals out of control.
Now, with the worst seemingly behind us, the challenge is to maintain momentum. “We also have a better understanding of the drivers of transmission, the risk factors for severity, and the most affected countries have developed a sustained response capacity,” Dr. Tedros said, underscoring the progress made.
But as Africa CDC’s recent review makes clear, there’s no room for complacency. The world’s attention may be shifting, but for many communities, the battle against mpox is far from over. Continued investment in surveillance, vaccination, and healthcare infrastructure will be crucial to ensuring that the gains made are not lost.
As the world turns the page on this chapter of the mpox outbreak, the lessons learned—about global solidarity, rapid response, and the importance of protecting the most vulnerable—will shape public health responses for years to come.
