Inhlangano yezempilo ye-African Union, i-Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), imemezele isimo esiphuthumayo sezempilo yomphakathi ngoLwesibili ngenxa yokubhebhetheka kwesifo esiqubukayo ezwenikazi lonke. Lokhu kuphawula ukusetshenziswa kokuqala kwamandla ezokuphepha ezwekazi anikezwe le nhlangano ngo-2022. UJean Kaseya, inhloko ye-Africa CDC, ukugcizelele ukuthi lesi simemezelo “siyisicelo sokucacisa ukuthi kumele kwenziwe okuthile,” enxusa ukuthi kube nendlela esheshayo nenolaka ukuze kuquke ukuqubuka kwalesi sifo. .
I-Mpox, eyayaziwa ngele-monkeypox, isithinte kakhulu eDemocratic Republic of Congo, lapho leli gciwane laqala ukutholakala kubantu ngo-1970. Kusukela ngoJanuwari 2022, kube nezigameko ezibikiwe ezingu-38,465 kanye nokufa kwabantu abangu-1,456 e-Afrika yonkana. Ukuqubuka kwalesi sifo kusakazeke ngokushesha, kubangela ukuhlupheka okukhulu ezwenikazi lonke.
Lesi simemezelo kulindeleke ukuthi sisize ukuhlanganisa izinsiza kanye noxhaso ukuze kunqandwe ukubhebhetheka kwalesi sifo. Kuza ngaphambi komhlangano weNhlangano Yezempilo Yomhlaba (i-WHO) ngo-Agasti 14 wokubheka ukuthi kumele kumenyezelwe yini I-Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), okuyizinga eliphakeme kakhulu lesexwayiso esingakhishwa yi-WHO.
I-Mpox ibangelwa igciwane elithathelwana lisuka ezilwaneni liye kubantu futhi lingasakazeka ngokuthintana okuseduze phakathi kwabantu. Lesi sifo sibonakala ngomkhuhlane, ubuhlungu bemisipha, nezilonda ezinkulu zesikhumba. Ukuqubuka kwezifo e-Afrika kuqhutshwa uhlobo olusha, i-Clade Ib, olulokhu ludlondlobala e-DRC kusukela ngoSepthemba 2023.
I-WHO ngaphambilini yamemezela i-PHEIC ye-mpox ngoJulayi 2022, eyahlala isebenza kwaze kwaba nguMeyi 2023, ngemuva kokuba lesi sifo sisabalala emhlabeni wonke, ikakhulukazi phakathi kwabesilisa abathandana nabobulili obubili.