The World Health Organization declared the new Clade Ib variant of Mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on Friday, the second such declaration related to the disease in three years. The highly transmissible variant, first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo, spread to 23 countries across four continents within six weeks. Unlike earlier strains, Clade Ib spreads more easily through close contact and has a higher case fatality rate of approximately 3.6% in unvaccinated populations.
WHO Director-General Tedros urged all countries to accelerate vaccine procurement, strengthen surveillance, and avoid stigmatisation of affected communities. The US, EU, and UK announced they would donate a combined 2.5 million doses of the MVA-BN vaccine to affected nations. India confirmed it has sufficient stockpiles for high-risk groups and placed port health authorities on heightened alert. Several countries introduced mandatory health declarations for travellers arriving from affected regions.
