2022Reputable sourceWell documented
Mpox Goes Global
On the timeline · around 2022 · The Modern Age
What happened
In 2022 mpox (formerly called monkeypox), a virus long confined mainly to parts of Africa, spread rapidly around the world for the first time. The WHO declared a global health emergency in July 2022; by the time it was lifted in 2023, more than 87,000 cases had been reported across some 110 countries. Targeted vaccination and behaviour change helped bring it under control.
Why it matters
The 2022 mpox emergency showed how a once-localized disease can go global in a connected world — and how quickly vaccines and public-health action can respond — even as it drew attention to the neglect of diseases in the regions where mpox had long circulated.
Sources
- World Health Organization. Mpox Outbreak · Reputable source