evidence: On Wednesday the director general of the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a few other African nations a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). A PHEIC is the highest level of alarm that can be issued by the WHO. Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the rapid spread of a new viral group, or clade, of mpox in the eastern DRC and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries as "very worrying." The situation necessitates a coordinated international response to "stop these outbreaks and save lives," he said. Sweden has also confirmed its first case of the new clade, suggesting the spread of this form of mpox may be broader than reported. [...] About 24 hours before the WHO’s declaration, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) issued its first-ever declaration of a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security for mpox. At a press conference, Africa CDC’s director general Jean Kaseya said that the emergence and rapid spread of mpox is "a menace that knows no boundaries, no race, no creed."