WHO Still Considering Monkeypox Outbreak As International Emergency

WHO Still Considering Monkeypox Outbreak as International Emergency

The multi-country monkeypox outbreak remains a public health emergency of international concern despite some progress having been made in the global response to the disease, in particular in behavioral interventions and vaccines, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st November, 2022) The multi-country monkeypox outbreak remains a public health emergency of international concern despite some progress having been made in the global response to the disease, in particular in behavioral interventions and vaccines, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

"The Committee held the consensus view that the event (the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox) continues to meet the IHR (International Health Regulations) criteria for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and highlights the Primary reasons for ongoing concern," the committee said in a statement based on the results of its meeting held on October 20.

The monkeypox outbreak requires coordinated actions from countries to reduce its impact, stop ongoing transmission in some regions, minimize risks of stigma and discrimination, improve health systems in a number of developing countries and address research gaps, the organization added.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has agreed with the committee's recommendations, the statement read.

The UK Health Security Agency was the first health authority outside Africa to report a case of monkeypox on May 7, in a patient who had recently traveled to Nigeria. Since then, monkeypox outbreaks have been confirmed in various countries across the world. In July, the WHO declared the disease a public health emergency of international concern.

So far, 77,264 confirmed monkeypox cases, including 36 fatalities, have been registered in 109 countries since the beginning of 2022, according to the latest data from WHO.

Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that is usually transmitted to people from wild animals and is endemic in some African countries. The disease can be transmitted through body fluids, respiratory droplets and other contaminated materials. The disease usually results in fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes.