This is how Asian countries reacted to the WHO's emergency declaration

Countries in Asia are closely monitoring mpox cases after the World Health Organization recently declared a growing outbreak in Africa a global public health emergency.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is classified into two distinct groups: clade 1 and clade 2. It is transmissible through direct contact with an infected person, animal, or contaminated items.

Clade 2 was responsible for the 2022 outbreak, which has led to around 100,000 cases worldwide, NBC News reported, but now, a clade 1 version has spread internationally, after beginning in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in January 2023.

Making the statement, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “It is clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.”

On Thursday, Sweden reported the first known case of clade 1 outside Africa. On Monday, the Philippines reported its first case of mpox since December last year, although it has not yet identified the strain.

Here's how Asia's four largest economies have responded so far:

China's customs authorities have announced that they will step up surveillance at ports of entry.

People arriving from nations and areas with confirmed cases of MPOX and who have been exposed to MPOX with symptoms such as fever, headache, back pain or skin rashes should declare their condition to customs, the General Administration of Customs said.

Aircraft and ships carrying containers and cargo arriving from countries and areas with cases of MPOX will also be sanitized, local media reported.

These measures came into effect on Thursday and will apply for the next six months.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been continuously monitoring the MPOX outbreak, the country's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a statement.

The last case of mpox was detected in March and, as of Sunday, there were already reported cases in the country, according to authorities.

Last week, India's National Centre for Disease Control held a meeting of health experts to assess the risk, officials said. Health teams at international airports have also been briefed on the situation.

Health authorities have also announced they will enhance surveillance in an effort to quickly detect potential cases, as well as improve laboratory testing capabilities for early diagnosis, the officials added, although they did not include further details in the statement.

Healthcare providers, such as hospitals and clinics, have also been tasked with raising awareness about the virus.

Officials in Japan met on Friday to discuss possible actions and review strategies, local news reported, and agreed to collect data from countries where outbreaks have been confirmed.

Authorities plan to raise awareness about mpox and its spread among travelers entering and leaving the country, The Japan Times reported. It is unclear whether the country will implement additional measures.

Meanwhile, the country's health minister, Keizo Takemi, recently said at a press conference that Tokyo is preparing to send vaccines made in Japan to Congo, in response to a request, the outlet added.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has said that while the mpox situation remains “manageable” with existing measures, it will continue to strengthen quarantine and surveillance efforts, according to local news.

The KDCA issued the statement on Friday after holding a meeting with medical experts to discuss the risk of an outbreak.

During the meeting, officials decided to implement quarantine measures for those traveling on direct flights from countries with “epidemiological investigators and public health doctors deployed on site,” and decided not to reissue a crisis alert that was lifted in May last year, The Korea Times reported.

Korea is also planning to push awareness campaigns to urge those with symptoms to see a doctor immediately, he added.