The World Health Organization (WHO) is seriously considering declaring a global emergency over the rapidly spreading mpox outbreak in Africa. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that more funding and help are needed to tackle the virus, which is now hitting 10 African countries, with Congo suffering the most. Cases have jumped 160% this year, affecting many children and causing hundreds of deaths. The situation is so alarming that WHO might soon call an international emergency meeting, just like they did for COVID-19. As new outbreaks appear in countries like Burundi and Rwanda, the urgency to contain mpox has never been greater.

In a recent social media post, Tedros mentioned he’s thinking about calling a special emergency committee to decide if mpox should be classified as a global health emergency. This is the highest level of alert the WHO can give. The decision on when to make this declaration, or issue any warnings, is still pending, reports Jack Philli...