Rosamund Lewis, who works as an expert in the field of M-pox virus at WHO, attended the weekly press conference of the United Nations (UN) Geneva Office online and made evaluations.
Lewis emphasized that as M-pox cases continue to increase, it continues to be a public health threat, and said that more than 3,100 cases have been reported worldwide since the beginning of the year.
SEEN IN 26 COUNTRIES
“In May alone, nearly 600 confirmed cases from 26 countries were reported to WHO.” Lewis emphasized that there was an increase in M-pox cases, especially in Africa, and called for intensive research to determine the root causes of this.
Lewis noted that since April, 13 confirmed cases and two deaths due to the “clad IIb” virus, a variant of South Africa’s M pox virus, have been reported.
MORE CHILDREN LOST THEIR LIVES
Saying that the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to face a major epidemic, Lewis said that 419 of the 9 thousand 291 M pox cases reported in 2024 alone resulted in death.
Lewis noted that the mortality rate in M pox virus cases detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo is approximately 5 percent.
Noting that mostly children died due to the epidemic, Lewis also underlined that there is a critical need to address the recent increase in M-pox cases in Africa.
Source: AA