The spread of mpox in Africa needs to be addressed urgently, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, as scientists warned separately of a dangerous strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo. "There is a critical need to address the recent surge in mpox cases in Africa," Rosamund Lewis, the WHO's technical lead for mpox, said in a briefing note to journalists. This year, roughly 8,600 mpox cases have been reported in Congo, and 410 deaths, Cris Kacita, the doctor in charge of operations in the country's mpox control programme, told Reuters last week. South Kivu borders Rwanda and Burundi. He said 24 of 26 provinces in Congo were affected and the outbreak was the worst mpox epidemic yet.
