Mpox no longer represents an international health emergency, the World Health Organisation chief says.

The viral infection spreads through close contact and typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions.

"This decision is based on sustained declines in cases and as in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in other affected countries including Burundi, Sierra Leone and Uganda," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

The WHO's director-general added the decision was based on advice by the WHO's Emergency Committee, which meets every three months to evaluate the outbreak.

The WHO first declared the emergency in August last year, when an outbreak of a new form of mpox spread from the badly-hit DR Congo to neighbouring countries.

Mpox was formerly known as monkeypox.

A public health

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