Mpox needs a locally tailored global response

Mpox has spread rapidly across continents, igniting fear and uncertainty. Since 2022, 52 329 cases have been recorded (of which 9335 are confirmed), and 1798 deaths.1 The disease has shown potential for sexual transmission, particularly among men who have sex with men,2 but more recently has spread in other populations, including in children.3

The declarations by Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)4 of a public health emergency of continental security, and by the World Health Organization (WHO) of a public health emergency of international concern,5 may be intended to galvanise a global response, but the crisis is far from being under control.6 As WHO adds the first vaccine against mpox (MVA-BN) to its prequalification list,7 the global response must take into account the unique epidemiological and clinical characteristics8 of the various concurrent outbreaks caused by different viral clades (Ia, Ib, IIa, and IIb).