WHO declares monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency as cases rise
The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the monkeypox outbreak is a global health emergency. Over the last few months, various countries worldwide have seen a massive increase in monkeypox cases.
Due to the alarming rate of infections, WHO recently declared the outbreak as a global health emergency – which is the highest alert within the organisation.
During a press conference on 23 July, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that a committee was formed to assess the new data regarding the virus.
However due to conflicting opinions, the group was unable to reach a consensus. Because of this, Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that he made the executive decision to declare a global emergency. “In short, we have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly through new modes of transmission about which we understand too little and which meets the criteria in the international health regulations,” he explained. “For all of these reasons, I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a global health emergency of international concern.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported across 75 countries. “Although I am declaring a public health emergency of international concern for the moment, this is an outbreak that is concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners,” he continued. “That means that this is an outbreak that can be stopped with the right strategies in the right groups.” Adhanom Ghebreyesus went on to encourage countries to “design and deliver effective information and services” to protect the “health, human rights and dignity of affected communities.”
