Monkeypox not yet global health emergency – WHO
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said though Monkeypox outbreak is spreading globally it does not currently constitute a global health emergency.
It, however, agreed that it is “clearly an evolving threat.”
This is the outcome of an emergency committee meeting conveyed by the global health body as contained in a statement published on the WHO website on Saturday.
It added that the response to the outbreak requires collaborative international efforts.
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In his comment on the report, the WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said: “The emergency committee shared serious concerns about the scale and speed of the current outbreak, noted many unknown gaps in current data and prepared a consensus report that reflects differing views amongst the committee.
“They advised me that at this moment the event does not constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), which is the highest level of alert WHO can issue but recognised that the convening of the committee itself reflects the increasing concern about the international spread of monkeypox.”
Mr Ghebreyesus said the outbreak was “clearly an evolving health threat” that needed immediate action to stop its further spread, using surveillance, contact-tracing, isolation and care of patients, and ensuring vaccines and treatments are available.
“What makes the current outbreak especially concerning is the rapid, continuing spread into new countries and regions and the risk of further, sustained transmission into vulnerable populations including people that are immunocompromised, pregnant women and children,” he added.
