Mpox outbreak
The global mpox outbreak has been a WHO graded level 3 acute emergency since August 2024. All clades of mpox virus (MPXV) continue to circulate. Unless mpox outbreaks are rapidly contained and human-to-human transmission is interrupted, there is a risk of sustained community transmission. Fifteen countries in Africa reported active transmission of mpox in December 2025 and January 2026. Countries reporting the highest number of cases in this period are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Madagascar, Liberia and Ghana. Outside Africa, community transmission of clade Ib MPXV continues to be reported in France, Italy and Spain. Investigations are ongoing for the case reported in Czechia.
Vulnerable groups, particularly children, pregnant women and people living with HIV, continue to face higher risks for severe disease and death. Yet response efforts face numerous operational challenges. Attention to including social, political and contextual evidence across pillars of the emergency response can assist in addressing these challenges.
Photo credit: NIAID/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Mpox virus particles (coloured teal) within an infected cell (coloured brown), cultured in the laboratory. Photo: NIAID/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Evidence review
Rapid evidence synthesis: Mpox community protection
The global mpox outbreak has been a WHO graded level 3 acute emergency since August 2024. All clades of mpox virus (MPXV) continue to circulate. Unless mpox outbreaks are rapidly contained and human-to-human transmission is interrupted, there is a risk…
Briefing
Key considerations: Home-based care for mpox in Central and East Africa
This brief outlines key considerations on health system requirements for safe and inclusive home-based care for mpox.
Briefing
Mpox response in urban informal settlements
This brief highlights key issues and good practices that can be carried into the design and delivery of mpox response activities in urban informal settlements.
Briefing
Supporting the mpox response for people with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression in contexts where their rights are restricted
This brief provides a socio-behavioural analysis of the vulnerabilities, risks and operational key considerations for working with people with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression in the mpox response.
Briefing
Mpox in the Busia-Malaba border region linking Uganda and Kenya
This brief summarises how mpox is perceived and managed in the Busia-Malaba border region that links eastern Uganda and western Kenya.
Question Bank
Tools
Mpox question bank: Qualitative questions for community-level data collection
A Question Bank for use by field teams and local research teams working in communities with mpox transmission and those at risk of transmission with the aim of supporting the collection and use of consistent and high-quality social and behavioural…
Report
Meeting report: Mpox and discrimination in African settings
This report summarises contributions from speakers and participants at a Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform (SSHAP)-organised online meeting to discuss mpox and discrimination issues in African settings, and operational responses to mpox that are contextually sensitive.
Briefing
Mpox, mining, and vulnerabilities of women and children in eastern DRC
This Key Considerations brief presents considerations for contextualising and responding to the mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, focusing on women and children living and working in artisanal and small-scale mining areas.
Infographic
Risk communication and community engagement for mpox vaccination in Eastern DRC
This infographic summarises insights from the SSHAP briefing 'Key Considerations: Risk Communication and Community Engagement for Mpox in Eastern DRC', presenting social and political considerations for the design and implementation of vaccination-related risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) strategies.
Briefing
Risk communication and community engagement for mpox vaccination in eastern DRC
This Key Considerations brief presents social and political considerations for the design and implementation of vaccination-related risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) strategies for mpox in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Report
Roundtable Report: Discussion on mpox in DRC and social science considerations for operational response
This report synthesises the discussions at a SSHAP-organised roundtable on the mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo held in May 2024 to appraise the situation, with a focus on social science insights for informing context-sensitive risk communication…
Briefing
Social considerations for monkeypox response
This brief outlines the social considerations for responding to the recent outbreak of Monkeypox.
Multimedia
Views of mpox in Nigeria
This photo story explores how mpox is felt and understood by different people in Nigeria – including those with symptoms, the wider community and healthcare workers.
Multimedia
Mpox in Nigeria – lessons from diverse experiences
Lessons from the 2022 mpox public health emergency in Nigeria are documented in a comic illustrated by Tim Zocco, produced in collaboration with the research team which studied the outbreak.
Multimedia
Social dimensions of monkeypox: gaps and priority questions?
This presentation on the social dimensions of monkeypox was compiled by Hayley MacGregor and the WHO Social Science Technical Working Group for a meeting of the WHO R&D Roadmap.
Briefing
RCCE strategies for monkeypox response
This brief outlines specific considerations for monkeypox risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) in relation to the recent outbreak.
