On 27 February, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that the mpox upsurge continues to meet the criteria of a public health emergency of international concern set forth in the international Health Regulations (IHR).
The announcement follows the third meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of mpox, held on 25 February 2025. The Committee advised the Director-General to extend the public health emergency of international concern, based on the continuing rise in numbers and geographic spread, the violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo—which hampers the response— as well as a lack of funding to implement the response plan.
The Director-General concurred with the Committee’s advice.
The upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its spread to neighbouring countries was first determined to be a public health emergency of international concern by the Director-General on 14 August 2024.
