Though long present in parts of Central and West Africa, in May last year cases of mpox started emerging in Europe, North America then elsewhere, mostly among men who have sex with men.
The WHO declared mpox was a PHEIC in July. But the number of people infected with the disease – which causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions – has consistently fallen since.
More than 87,000 cases and 140 deaths have been reported from 111 countries during the global outbreak, according to a WHO count.
But almost 90 per cent fewer cases were recorded over the last three months compared to the previous three-month period, Tedros said.
“While we welcome the downward trend of Mpox cases globally, the virus continues to affect communities in all regions, including in Africa, where transmission is still not well understood,” he said.
After the status was lifted for COVID-19 and mpox, there is now just one WHO-declared PHEIC – for poliovirus, which was declared in May 2014.
