[Comment] Challenges in containing the global spread of mpox clade Ib

For the second time in 2 years, an ongoing mpox outbreak has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by WHO.1 Following the global surge of clade IIb mpox in 2022, African countries face escalating challenges in managing expanding mixed outbreaks of clade I and II mpox. DR Congo remains the epicentre of the current clade I mpox outbreak with 59 467 suspected cases and 1300 deaths linked to mpox since 2024.2 This outbreak has also spread regionally, with cases reported in neighbouring countries including Burundi, the Central African Republic, Congo (Brazzaville), and Uganda.