Practice of Risk Management on Mpox

Mpox is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by the mpox virus, predominantly endemic in African countries such as Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), and the Central African Republic. On June 25, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) convened an emergency meeting and determined that the multi-country mpox cases did not constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). However, on July 23, 2022, in light of the global spread and characteristics of mpox cases, WHO declared the mpox outbreak as a PHEIC. This designation was later lifted on May 11, 2023, yet the WHO emphasized the continued need for prevention and control measures akin to those for HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Despite an overall downward trend in the global mpox outbreak as of March 12, 2024, the mpox first pandemic spread on a global scale also underscores the challenges posed by the development of socio-economic conditions on the risk assessment, surveillance, and early warning of infectious disease epidemics. This chapter of the book provides a reference for the prevention and management of mpox by delineating the disease’s distribution and burden, summarizing its risk assessment, surveillance and early warning, as well as the evaluation of control strategies and their effectiveness.