UN health agency convening experts to determine if the mpox outbreak in Africa is a global emergency

GENEVA (AP) — The head of the World Health Organization says he will convene an expert group to determine if the increasing spread of the mpox virus in Africa warrants being declared a global emergency. At a press briefing in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that given the increasing spread of mpox cases beyond Congo, he has decided to ask independent experts to advise WHO “as soon as possible.” Mpox, also known as monkeypox, has now been detected in 10 African countries this year including Congo, which has more than 96% of all cases and deaths.