WHO to Impose Health Emergency Amid Monkeypox Rise
by Saeed Iqbal
SHARES
WHO’s Monekypox committee reconvenes again as the cases pass 14000, reported from 71 countries. Six countries also reported their first case of this virus last week.
According to the data from WHO, Europe remains the epicenter of this disease as more than ten thousand patients are from European countries. Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom have the highest number of reported cases.
Additionally, monkeypox also continues to grow in the United States of America. Yesterday, 215 more cases were reported in different states, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The total number of cases in the USA is 2323.
Since early May, there has been a surge in monkeypox in West and Central African countries where this infection has been endemic long ago.
On June 23, WHO assembled an emergency committee of experts to make a decision on whether monkeypox constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) or not. A majority of experts advised the WHO’s chief that the situation is under control and has not met the threshold at that time.
The International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on the multi-country #monkeypox outbreak reconvenes today, for the 2nd time since its first meeting in June.
More about the IHR Emergency Committee: https://t.co/nza64It7Ps pic.twitter.com/LyYaTFSgWv
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) July 21, 2022
The second meeting was called to discuss the current situation as the number of monkeypox cases rises again. If the committee advises the WHO’s chief to constitute this virus a PHEIC then it will make some effective recommendations to prevent and reduce the spread of this infection.
However, it is not confirmed when the committee will reach the conclusions and make their outcomes public.
Additionally, the chief of WHO in his statement said that the most powerful tool against monkeypox is information. People need more information about this infection as the risk increases. Unfortunately, only scant information is shared with the countries more prone to monkeypox, says the chief.
To control the spread, the UN health agency is working closely with all countries to take precautionary measures as the outbreak evolves.
