3 weeks after a global emergency was announced, is the Mpox epidemic well on its way to being contained? It remains to be seen.
More than 120 countries reported cases of Mpox between January 2022 and August 2024, with over 100,000 laboratory-confirmed cases reported and 220+ deaths among confirmed cases. These rising numbers can be explained by an overall lack of access to medical countermeasures such as vaccines, rapid diagnostic tests and treatments, which need to be further developed and made accessible to combat new strains.
If the global community had taken decisive action earlier on, this epidemic could have been contained and defeated. Today, coordinated and purposeful action must be taken immediately to protect vulnerable populations.
The current epidemic is also a stark reminder that although African health systems work on a local level, the health risks, and the risk of a new global pandemic, are very real. Taking action to improve equitable access to quality health services means taking action for health security on an international scale. It is a shared global responsibility.
The European Union has a crucial role to play in eradicating the Mpox epidemic and strengthening health systems at international level.
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