This is the second time in two years that mpox has been declared a global public health emergency.
The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, after an outbreak of the viral infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo spread to neighbouring countries.
An emergency committee met on Wednesday to advise WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on whether the 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 action 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 be spread by close contact. It is usually mild, but can be 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.
It has spread from Congo to neighbouring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, prompting the WHO response.
"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 funding and planned 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, mostly among children in Congo.
Professor Dimie Ogoina, chairperson of the WHO's mpox emergency committee, said all members agreed that the current surge in cases was an "extraordinary event", with a record number of cases in Congo.
When a different strain of mpox spread globally, mainly among men who have sex with men, and WHO declared an emergency in 2022, vaccines and behaviour change helped stop the spread.
In Congo, transmission routes need to be further studied, the WHO said. No vaccines are yet available, although efforts are underway to change that and to work out who is best to target. The agency also appealed to countries with stockpiles to donate vaccine.