WHO to convene emergency meeting on mpox on November 22

The World Health Organisation will convene a meeting of its Emergency Committee next week to determine whether mpox remains a global health crisis, it said in a statement on Monday.

The disease which continues to spread in Africa is currently classified by the UN health body as a public health emergency of international concern, which represents the highest form of alert.

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Mpox can be transmitted among people through direct contact with infectious skin or lesions. This includes talking, breathing, touching and intimacy. Respiratory droplets or short-range aerosols from close contact can also transmit the disease.

It can also be contracted from contaminated objects such as clothing or linens, or in community setting such as tattoo parlours.

Mpox infection can be prevented by receiving a vaccine. The vaccine should be given within 4 days of contact with someone who has mpox (or within up to 14 days if there are no symptoms).

During an outbreak, those at higher risk of contracting the disease, such as healthcare workers, are recommended to get vaccinated first, the WHO says.

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