The mpox outbreak is a global systems failure

A new public health approach is needed that takes into account the growing impact of climate change.

- Nabeel Goheer

As the world emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic, political leaders around the globe stressed that lessons would be learnt and governments would be better prepared for the next crisis. Yet, the World Health Organisation's (WHO) recent declaration that the current mpox outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern shows how hollow these promises have been.

The state of the outbreak highlights the complexity of the challenge, but it is an outcome that the global public health community has been warning about for years. Given that the first human case of mpox was identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo several decades ago, the current situation illustrates the need for a total overhaul of current systems and structures that have allowed this public health failure to unfold.

The crux of the issue is that current approaches to public health do not adequately account for the growing impact of climate change, of which mpox is one.

Indeed, a study conducted by Nature in 2022 identified more than 1,000 pathways in which climatic hazards can lead to disease outbreaks, highlighting the clear link between climate change and health security. The spread of the diseases is further fuelled by inequitable access to surveillance, vaccination and diagnostics in lower- and middle-income countries.

On top of outbreaks like mpox, climate change is driving year-on-year increases in heat-related deaths and heightening the threat of antimicrobial resistant infections.

In short, treating public health and climate change as separate policy issues is costing lives.

Ultimately, boosting regional and global health security needs a new, systematic approach focused on the intersections of climate, environment and human health.