Countries across Asia, including South Korea and Thailand, are intensifying surveillance and countermeasures against a new, more dangerous variant of mpox, known as clade 1b, following the World Health Organisation's (WHO) declaration of a public health emergency. The variant has surged in Africa, prompting various nations to ramp up health screenings, stockpile vaccines, and monitor arrivals from affected regions. In Asia, Thailand reported its first suspected case in a European man who had traveled to Africa, while South Korea has deployed epidemiologists at key airports. Meanwhile, British Columbia officials maintain that the risk to the local population remains low, attributing the spread mainly to close physical and sexual contact. India has taken precautionary steps despite no reported cases, with measures including heightened vigilance at ports of entry and readiness of healthcare facilities for isolation and management of potential cases. Kenya has also activated border surveillance following a suspected case at the Kenya-Tanzania border.