On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that mpox has been designated a global public health emergency for the second time in two years.
The current outbreak in Congo began with the endemic clade I strain but has since been complicated by a new variant, clade Ib, which appears to spread more easily through routine close contact, including intimate activity. This new variant has extended from Congo to neighbouring nations such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, prompting the WHO’s intervention.
According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 17,000 suspected cases and 517 deaths have been reported across the African continent this year, marking a 160% increase in cases compared to the same period last year. Thirteen countries have reported mpox cases to date.