Overview

• The WHO’s 56th situation report warns that uncontrolled mpox outbreaks could lead to sustained community transmission and mass contagion if containment measures lag
• From January 1 to June 30, 2025, global confirmed mpox cases reached 30,022 with 119 deaths, including 4,798 cases and 21 fatalities reported in June alone
• Continuous transmission persists in 21 African countries with clades Ia, Ib and IIb circulating and first-time outbreaks confirmed in Gambia (clade IIb) and Mozambique (clade Ib)
• Imported mpox cases linked to travel have been reported in Australia, China and the UK, even as community spread remains confined to central and eastern Africa
• Despite a rise from 5 mpox cases in January to 131 in June, Mexico was excluded from the WHO report, prompting urgent calls for improved epidemiological surveillance and expedited vaccine authorization