By Gustav Krös
On Wednesday, 14 August, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and surrounding countries (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda) constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR). There are two main clades of the mpox virus: clade 1 from the Congo region and clade 2 from West Africa. Currently, there are two strains spreading in the DRC: the endemic form of the virus—clade 1—and a new variant called clade 1b. On 15 August, Sweden became the first country outside Africa to confirm a case of the new clade 1b, stating that the person was infected while in Africa.
Mpox was formerly known as monkeypox, and is transmitted through close physical contact, including sexual contact. It causes flu-like symptoms together with pus-filled lesions, and while symptoms are usually mild it could lead to death. There are two vaccines available for mpox and the WHO’s Director-General has already started the process for Emergency Use Listing for mpox vaccines. This process will accelerate vaccine access for lower-income countries. On 19 August, the health minister of the DRC announced that the USA and Japan promised to help them fight the current outbreak and they hope to receive their first doses of the mpox vaccine by next week.
The previous global mpox outbreak that started in May 2022 and was declared over in May 2023 was of the clade 2b sub-lineage. From a Christian perspective, it is important to note that the 2022/23 outbreak was driven by transmission among males who self-identify as men who have sex with men (MSM), and the probability of infection was higher for individuals within the MSM population and people who have multiple sexual partners.
The current outbreak of the clade 1 variants has heightened transmissibility and a higher fatality rate. It is also interesting to note, from a Christian perspective, that it is mostly observed among heterosexual individuals through sexual transmission, particularly female sex workers.
It shows us that by adhering to the guidelines God gives us in the Bible, we not only honour Him, but it also serves to protect us. 1 Corinthians 6:18 says, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.” And Leviticus 18:22 says, “Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.”
Although the mpox virus does not exclusively transmit via sexual contact, adhering to a Biblically based sexual lifestyle goes a long way in protecting yourself. Another piece of good news is that, unlike Covid-19, there is no evidence that it spreads easily through the air. For this reason, and since vaccines are already available for mpox, it is unlikely that the outbreak will reach the same pandemic level as we experienced with Covid-19. Nonetheless, it serves as a good reminder that the next pandemic could always be just around the corner (Luke 21:11), as is the case for the DRC and its surrounding countries.
Please join us in prayer for the following:
- For those who are infected with mpox to experience the healing touch of Christ and that those who do not know Him will come to meet Him in the process.
- For the global health officials and those in the countries of concern, for wisdom in how to best deal with the current mpox outbreak.
- For the Church in the DRC and globally, to share with people what a God-honouring sex life entails, and to contribute practically in containing the current outbreak.
https://www.nicd.ac.za/diseases-a-z-index/mpox-2/
https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/monkeypox-oubreak-2022
