WHO declares Monkeypox a global health emergency

Adeze Ojukwu

World Health Organization, on Saturday, declared monkeypox “a health emergency of international concern, with over 16,000 cases and five deaths.”

“Monkeypox is 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 of an emergency under International Health Regulations.”

Director General of WHO, Tedros Gebreyesus, declaring this on Saturday, during a press conference, said “for all of these reasons, I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern.”

Tedros indicated that the current risk of Monkeypox is moderate globally and in all regions, except in the European region where the risk is high.

“There is also a clear risk of further international spread, although the risk of interference with international traffic remains low for the moment,” he added.

WHO’s chief said although he was declaring a public health emergency of international concern, “for the moment the Monkeypox outbreak is concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners.”

“That means that this is an outbreak that can be stopped with the right strategies in the right groups,” he explained.

Tedros said “it is essential that all countries work closely with communities of men who have sex with men, to design and deliver effective information and services, and to adopt measures that protect the health, human rights and dignity of affected communities.”

“Stigma and discrimination can be as dangerous as any virus”, he warned, calling on civil society organisations, including those with experience in working with people living with HIV, to work with the agency on fighting stigma and discrimination.

“With the tools we have right now, we can stop transmission and bring this outbreak under control,” he noted.

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Abeg the world is still grappling with covid 19, we don't want another pandemic