The World Health Organization declared mpox a global health emergency earlier this month after reported cases and deaths surged in the Democratic Republic of Congo and quickly spread to neighboring African nations. 

Now, the WHO is calling for a global response to deliver vaccines to vulnerable populations and is seeking $135 million in funding to address the crisis.  

Joining the discussion:

• Chris Smith is a Consultant Clinical Virologist at the University of Cambridge.
• Dr. Kate Tulenko is the Founder and CEO of Corvus Health.
• Dr. Georges Benjamin is the Executive Director of the American Public Health Association.
• Dr. Peter Chin Hong is a Professor of medicine and an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco.

Africa has almost 4,000 new mpox cases in a week, but the wait for vaccines continues https://t.co/fmKaUbhAez

— The Associated Press (@AP) August 28, 2024

Mpox is spreading. It has reached other parts of central and eastern Africa, and is starting to appear elsewhere. It is likely to go far, carried by international travellers https://t.co/fRRKFd8JOc 👇

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) August 28, 2024

A rapid spread of the mpox virus in sub-Saharan Africa could intensify the financial strain that many countries in the region are already facing, according to a statement by the ratings agency Fitch https://t.co/cWSvkQM7YZ pic.twitter.com/SgqlselxiG

— Reuters (@Reuters) August 28, 2024