WHO Maintains International Public Health Emergency at Empox...The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designates 7 African countries as quarantine management areas in the Ebola virus epidemic

Feb 28, 2025

◇ Medical personnel preparing for the Empox vaccine. AFP Yonhap News

The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains the highest level of health alert, the International Public Health Emergency (PHEIC), against MPOX (formerly known as monkeypox), which is spreading in Africa.

Empox, which was an endemic disease in Midwest Africa, has spread to countries around the world since May 2022. When you get this disease, you often show symptoms of blistering rash, and it may be accompanied by acute fever, headache, and muscle pain.

The WHO explained on the 27th (local time) that it decided that Empox still met the PHEIC issuance criteria specified in the International Health Covenant. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus concluded on the 25th to maintain PHEIC for Empox on the recommendation of the International Health Covenant Emergency Committee, a meeting of experts. The committee believes that the current alert should be maintained in consideration of the fact that violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where M-Fox has spread the most, is hindering health responses and that each African outbreak country lacks its own funds to implement its M-Fox outbreak response plan.

From the beginning of last year to last month, laboratory tests confirmed more than 21,000 cases of M.Fox worldwide and 70 deaths. Most of the outbreaks occurred in Africa, where the number of suspected outbreaks is estimated to be significantly higher than confirmed cases due to testing capacity limitations. The number of suspected outbreaks and related deaths reported to the WHO is more than 50,000 and 1,000, respectively.

Data=KCDC

Meanwhile, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has designated seven African countries, including Uganda, as quarantine management areas since February 26 due to the recent outbreak of Ebola virus cases in Uganda, Africa. The U.S. CDC and the U.K. Department of Health also raised travel health warnings for Uganda earlier this month.

Ebola virus disease is an acute fever and hemorrhagic disease caused by Ebola virus infection, and is an infectious disease that is infected through contact with animals infected with the Ebola virus or through blood and fluid contact of infected patients or deaths.

Uganda reported its first confirmed case (death) on January 30 in the recent Ebola epidemic. Eight additional confirmed patients recovered after inpatient treatment and were discharged from the hospital on February 18, and as of February 20, 58 contacts remained under management in isolation facilities.

To respond to preemptive quarantine, the KDCA will strengthen quarantine inspections for arrivals by designating South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, and Ethiopia as Ebola virus disease quarantine control areas, including Uganda, where the latest outbreak was reported.

Arrivals who visit the country and have suspicious symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite, helplessness, and rash must report their health conditions to the quarantine officer through Q-CODE (or health condition questionnaire).

Ji Young-mi, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, `Prevention is the most important thing because there is no commercial vaccine or treatment for Ebola virus disease. Therefore, people traveling to countries with Ebola virus disease should refrain from contacting fruit bats, primates, and wildlife when traveling, and wear personal protective equipment such as masks when visiting funeral homes and medical institutions and strictly follow preventive rules.'

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.