Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) said this Saturday that the outbreak of monkeypox is a very worrying health threat but at the moment it is not a global public health emergency.
“At the moment the situation does not constitute a public health emergency of international concern, which is the highest level of alert that the WHO can issue,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement after a meeting of experts to discuss the issue.
“The emergency committee shared their serious concerns about the scale and speed of the current outbreak,” Tedros added.
Cases of this disease have increased since May beyond the countries where it was endemic in West and Central Africa and are especially concentrated in Western Europe.
So far, 3,200 cases and one death have been detected in some 50 different countries, according to the WHO.
Tedros noted that the outbreak was “clearly an evolving health threat” that needed immediate action to stop further spread, using surveillance, contact tracing, isolation and patient care.
Also, ensure that vaccines and treatments are available for populations at risk.
“The vast majority of cases are seen among young men who have sex with men,” appearing mostly in urban areas, in “clustered social and sexual networks,” according to the WHO report on the meeting.
Although some members expressed differing views, the committee resolved by consensus to advise Tedros that, at this stage, the outbreak was not a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC).
“However, the committee unanimously recognized the emergency nature of the event and that controlling the further spread of the outbreak requires intense response efforts.”
They are expecting to meet again in the coming days and weeks depending on how the outbreak evolves.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle pain, and lack of energy.
Rashes then appear on the face, the palms of the hands, and the soles of the feet; lesions, pustules and, finally, scabs. It usually heals in about three weeks.
