The World Health Organization has declared mpox a global public health emergency of international concern.

In a statement on his decision to declare a global emergency, WHO said: “In addition to other outbreaks of other clades of mpox in other parts of Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,”

Mpox has a staggeringly high death rate, with 450 of the 13,791 cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in death, according to the WHO.

The virus has spread to Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya and South Africa. The newest strain of mpox, wreaking havoc in the D.R.C. is more virulent and deadly than the 2022 strain which infected 100,000 people, killing 1,700 of them,

Officials at Africa CDC said nearly 70% of cases in the country are in children younger than 15, who also accounted for 85% of deaths.

Mpox causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. Most cases are mild, but it can be deadly. The disease spreads through close contact with infected people, including via sex, with the latest outbreak in the continent beginning with the spread of an endemic strain known as Clade 1.

However, a new variant has emerged, known as Clade 1b, which appears to spread more easily through close contact, particularly among children.