Health
authorities
insist
that
the
measure
is
crucial
to
preventing
new
outbreaks,
especially
in
countries
where
the
virus
continues
to
pose
a
serious
risk.
The
decision
was
announced
by
the
Emergency
Consultative
Group
(ECG),
an
advisory
body
to
the
Director
General
of
the
Africa
Centres
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention
(Africa
CDC).
The
group
urged that
lifting
the
emergency
status
now
would
undermine
vigilance,
weaken
political
commitment,
and
slow
resource
mobilization-factors
that
are
still
urgently
needed
to
curb
the
spread
of
mpox
on
the
continent.
This
came
after
the
World
Health
Organisation
declared
the
disease
to
be
nolonger
an
International
Health
Emergency
early
this
month,
following
reports
of
a
decline
in
cases
in
areas
that
are
hotspots
in
Africa.
Director-General
of
the
World
Health
Organization,Tedros
Adhanom
Ghebreyesus,
said
the
decision
to
lift
the
status
was
made
based
on
sustained
declines
in
cases
and
deaths
in
the
DRC
and
other
affected
countries,
including
Burundi,
Sierra
Leon
and
Uganda.
“Over
a
year
ago
I
declared
a
public
health
emergency
of
international
concern
in
Africa
on
the
advice
of
an
emergency
committee
convened
under
the
International
Health
Regulations,”
he
said.
“They
recently
met
again
and
advised
me
that
in
its
view,
the
situation
nolonger
represents
an
International
Health
Emergency
and
I
have
accepted
that
advice.
We
also
have
a
better
understanding
of
the
drivers
of
transmission,
the
risk
factors
of
severity,
and
the
most
affected
countries
have
developed
a
sustained
response
capacity.
“Of
course,
lifting
the
emergency
declaration
capacity
does
not
mean
that
the
threat
is
over,
nor
that
our
response
will
stop
and
we
note
the
Africa
CDC’s
decision
yesterday
that
mpox
remains
a
continental
emergency”
But
the
ECG
noted
that
lifting
the
status
may
fuel
negligence
in
areas
where
the
disease is
still
prevalent.
The
group
argued
that
maintaining
the
declaration
is
essential
to
preserve political
will,
mobilise
resources,
and
keep
countries
on
high
alert.
Members
warned
that
lifting
the status
prematurely
could
trigger
complacency,
reduce
funding,
and
increase
the
risk
of
resurgence.
According
to
a
detailed
review
of
the
mpox
situation,
weekly
confirmed cases
declined
by
52
per
cent
between
weeks
17–22
and
weeks
27–32
of
2025.
However,
surges
emerged
in
Ghana,
Liberia,
Kenya,
Zambia,
and
Tanzania,
with
fresh
introductions
of
the virus
reported
in
Malawi,
Ethiopia,
Senegal,
Togo,
The
Gambia,
and
Mozambique.
In
Ethiopia
and
the
Central
African
Republic,
there
were
reports
of
infant
deaths,
while
several
countries
such
as
Sierra
Leone,
Congo,
Malawi,
Zambia,
Kenya,
CAR,
Ethiopia,
South
Africa,
and
Cameroon continued
to
register
case
fatality
rates
above
one
per
cent.
The
overall
continental
case
fatality rate
stood
at
0.5
per
cent.