The WHO director states that mpox is not the new Covid and the disease can be controlled.

• The WHO's regional director for Europe stated that mpox is not the new Covid and the risk to the general population is low.
• In the past two years, the United Nations health agency has twice declared mpox a global public health emergency.
• An outbreak of the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo has resulted in its spread to neighboring African countries.

The World Health Organization's regional director for Europe stated that mpox is not the new Covid and the risk to the general population is low.

On Tuesday, Dr. Hans Kluge stated that there are no valid comparisons between the mpox outbreak and the coronavirus pandemic.

Kluge stated that we must work together to address mpox, regardless of the location.

"Will we decide to implement global control and elimination systems for mpox, or will we repeat the pattern of panic followed by neglect?" he stated.

"The way we react presently and in the future will determine Europe's and the world's fate."

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years due to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighboring African countries.

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a rare viral infection that spreads through close contact and is predominantly found in west or central Africa. There are two distinct viral strains, or clades, of mpox.

Central Africa's Clade I is known to cause severe illness and death, with some outbreaks killing up to 10% of those infected, although recent outbreaks have had lower death rates, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The viral group responsible for the 2022 global mpox outbreak, which is endemic to west Africa, is clade II. Despite infections being less severe, the CDC reports that more than 99.9% of people recover from this strain.

The latest outbreak in Sweden has recorded the first case of the mpox clade I variant outside of Africa.

Kluge stated that there are approximately 100 new mpox clade II cases reported in the European Region each month.

He added, "Nevertheless, the current state of alert due to clade I presents Europe with an opportunity to focus on clade II."