ICN urges nurses to be vigilant after WHO declares mpox an international public health emergency
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has called for extra vigilance in the wake of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration that the upsurge in mpox 2024 outbreaks in the African region constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
ICN is echoing WHO’s call for international cooperation and coordination of efforts to control the spread of mpox 2024 (see box), which is currently surging in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in neighbouring countries of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. The first example of the spread of the disease outside of Africa was confirmed by the Swedish authorities on 15 August 2024.
With memories of the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic fresh in people’s minds, ICN is also urging governments everywhere to scale up their efforts to counter this PHEIC so that shortages of vaccines and personal protective equipment (PPE) do not occur.
ICN President Dr Pamela Cipriano said:
“We do not yet know how significant the current outbreaks of mpox 2024 will be, but we must prepare for them to develop into a concerning health emergency for everyone. Now is the time for countries to cooperate and collaborate so that preparations are in place and we remain ahead of the curve. ICN agrees with the World Medical Association that governments must respond to this crisis by adhering to the principles of the 2023 UN Political Declaration on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response.”
During the pandemic, ICN reported extensively on the risks and harms to nurses, which must not happen again.
ICN has been in contact with National Nurses Associations in the affected countries who have expressed concerns about the high risks of contamination of nurses and other health care workers. They reiterated the need for strong preventative measures including PPE for those working with affected populations and at or near the borders. WHO has said that all countries should prioritize access to and use of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, and mobilize financial resources for states that are experiencing upsurges of the disease.
WHO is also calling for states to strengthen health and care workers’ capacity, knowledge and skills in infection prevention and control. Following the first meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of mpox, WHO has released a report with temporary recommendations to States Parties experiencing the upsurge of mpox:
- Start vaccination programmes in affected areas
- All countries should develop and implement national mpox plans
- Establish and sustain laboratory-based surveillance and diagnostic capacities to enhance outbreak detection and risk assessment
- Enhance community protection
- Initiate, continue, support and collaborate on research to generate evidence for mpox prevention and control
- Apply international travel measures
- Continue providing guidance and coordinating resources for delivery of optimally integrated clinical care for mpox
- Work towards ensuring equitable access to safe, effective and quality-assured countermeasures for mpox
For more information, go to the WHO statement on its website.
What is mpox 2024?
Mpox, previously known as Monkeypox, is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus that causes a skin rash or mucosal lesions, accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.
It is transmitted by close physical contact with someone who is infectious, with contaminated materials or infected animals.
Children, pregnant women and people with weak immune systems are at risk for complications from mpox.
Complications include abscesses or serious skin damage, pneumonia, corneal infection, pain or difficulty swallowing, vomiting and diarrhoea causing severe dehydration or malnutrition, sepsis, encephalitis, myocarditis and death.
Mpox can be prevented by avoiding physical contact with someone who has mpox.
Vaccination can help prevent infection for people at risk.