WHO set to decide if monkeypox ‘Emergency of International Concern’
Washington: The World Health Organization (WHO) has convened an emergency meeting over Monkeypox. The meeting will assess whether monkeypox disease has become an international health emergency.
The DG, WHO, said, “The monkeypox outbreak is unusual and worrisome. For this reason, I have decided to call the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations next week to assess whether this outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern.”
Cases of this disease have now started coming out of Africa (where the disease is endemic). On Monday, UK health authorities detected another 104 cases of monkeypox in the country. Britain’s health protection agency said on Monday that there were now 470 cases of monkeypox reported across the country, most of them in gay or “bisexual” men.
Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) said there had been 1,285 cases of monkeypox from 28 countries where monkeypox was not considered endemic. No deaths have been reported outside of Africa. After the UK, the highest number of cases have been reported from Spain, Germany and Canada.
