PRETORIA, August 20. /TASS/. Five African countries - the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda - have been added to the World Health Organization's (WHO) list of states recommended for special measures to combat the outbreak of mpox (a new name for monkeypox), the agency said.

"The International Health Regulations Emergency Committee has determined <…> that the ongoing upsurge of mpox in <...> a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern under the provisions of the regulations," the WHO said in a statement posted on its website. "The temporary recommendations are issued to States Parties experiencing the upsurge of mpox, including, but not limited to, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda," the statement emphasized.

As part of the recommendations adopted, WHO called for the strengthening of national mechanisms to respond to public health emergencies, closer coordination of mpox control efforts, improved laboratory diagnosis of the disease, and the identification of contacts of mpox-infected persons. WHO is also urging increased border surveillance for mpox cases, vaccination, better public awareness of the disease and control measures.

On August 13, the African Union Medical and Health Services Directorate declared a public health emergency on the continent due to the spread of mpox. People infected with mpox have been identified in 17 African countries, the total number of people infected exceeds 38,000, and more than 1,400 people have died. The epicenter of the outbreak is the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The country now accounts for 92% of all mpox infections detected in Africa in 2024.

Mpox is a viral disease that occurs primarily in remote areas of central and western Africa near tropical forests. The first case of animal-to-human transmission of the disease was recorded in the DRC in 1970.