Learning from Covid pandemic experience to contain the Mpox outbreak

Although there is no need to raise the alarm at this stage, the government should focus on raising awareness among the public and prepare contingency plans

Mpox, or monkeypox, is a zoonotic virus that was recently declared a public-health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO). The sudden emergence of the disease brings back memories of living through the Covid-19 pandemic. The most recent major outbreak of Mpox occurred in 2022. Since then, more than 99,000 cases have been reported, with the disease spreading across 116 countries. This year alone, more than 15,600 cases have been reported, claiming 537 lives. Cases have been steadily increasing in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other parts of Africa. In India,