What's happened
Health officials in Thailand confirmed a case of the new mpox strain, Clade Ib, marking the second detection outside Africa. This strain has a higher mortality rate and is spreading through different contact patterns, raising global health concerns as the outbreak continues to escalate in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to the New York Times, health officials in Thailand confirmed a case of the new mpox strain, Clade Ib, which has a higher mortality rate than previous strains. This case is particularly concerning as it follows a similar detection in Sweden, indicating a potential for wider spread. The South China Morning Post highlights that the outbreak is centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the government is urging international assistance for vaccination efforts, as over 2.5 million people need to be vaccinated to control the outbreak. Ars Technica emphasizes the need for a coordinated international response to prevent the virus from spreading further, echoing the sentiments of WHO officials who are alarmed by the rapid transmission patterns of the new strain.
How we got here
The World Health Organization declared a global health emergency due to a rapidly spreading mpox outbreak, primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The new Clade I strain has led to significant increases in cases and deaths, particularly among children, prompting urgent international response efforts.
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The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution, which establishes the agency's governing structure and principles, states its main objective as "the attainment