WHO expert meeting to discuss mpox outbreak

The WHO said it will convene an emergency committee as mpox spreads in Central Africa and could spread further within and outside of Africa. The expert committee will meet on Wednesday to discuss whether the outbreak is a "public health emergency of international concern".

WHO Director-General said that the Democratic Republic of Congo has been experiencing a severe outbreak of mpox this year. More than 14,000 cases and 511 deaths have been reported. WHO said that the current outbreak of mpox is of a different type from the one that was responsible for the outbreak in 2022. The current type is said to be likely to cause severe symptoms.