Mpox Virus Extracellular, brick-shaped mpox virions (colorized pink). Backlighting shows surface membranes of the virions and the outlines of nucleocapsids. (Image: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases / Unsplash) 
An emergency committee met earlier on Wednesday to advise WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on whether the disease outbreak constitutes a "public health emergency of international concern," or PHEIC.
PHEIC status is WHO's highest level of alert and aims to accelerate research, funding and international public health measures and cooperation to contain a disease.
"It's clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives," said Tedros.
Mpox can spread through close contact. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.
The outbreak in Congo began with the spread of an endemic strain, known as clade I. But a new variant, clade Ib, appears to spread more easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact.
Read more in Daily Maverick: Health department calls for vigilance as mpox outbreak cases rise to 24, death toll at three
It has spread from Congo to neighbouring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, triggering the action from the WHO.
"The detection and rapid spread of a new clade of mpox in eastern DRC, its detection in neighbouring countries that had not previously reported mpox, and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying," Tedros added.
Tedros said on Wednesday that WHO had released $1.5 million in contingency funds and plans to release more in the coming days. WHO's response plan would require an initial $15 million, and the agency plans to appeal to donors for funding.
Earlier this week, Africa's top public health body declared an mpox emergency for the continent after warning that the viral infection was spreading at an alarming rate, with more than 17,000 suspected cases and more than 500 deaths this year, mainly among children in Congo.
Professor Dimie Ogoina, chair of WHO's mpox emergency committee, said all members unanimously agreed that the current upsurge of cases is an "extraordinary event," with a record number of cases in Congo.
Read more in Daily Maverick: Mpox: what to watch out for, treatment and what to worry about
Vaccines and behaviour change helped stop the spread when a different strain of mpox spread globally, primarily among men who have sex with men, and WHO declared an emergency in 2022.
In Congo, the transmission routes need further study, WHO said. No vaccines are yet available, although efforts are underway to change that and work out who best to target. The agency also appealed to countries with stockpiles to donate shots.
(Reporting by Bhanvi Satija and Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru and Jennifer Rigby in London; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar and Leslie Adler)
What you need to know about Mpox (Monkeypox)
- What is Mpox? Mpox, or monkeypox, is an illness caused by the monkeypox virus. It is a viral infection that can spread between people and occasionally from the environment to people via contaminated surfaces.
- Symptoms: Common symptoms include rash, fever, headache, muscle aches, and swollen glands. Severe cases can lead to complications and even death, especially in high-risk groups like newborns, children, pregnant individuals, and those with compromised immune systems.
- How it Spreads: From person to person through close contact, including respiratory droplets and contact with bodily fluids. Virus can also persist on surfaces and objects touched by an infected person. From animals to humans through physical contact, such as bites, scratches, or handling of infected animals.
- Prevention Tips: Avoid close contact with infected individuals. Practice good hand hygiene. Avoid consuming undercooked meat from animals.
- New Terminology: WHO now uses "mpox" as a preferred term for monkeypox.