The World Health Organization announced last night that it has "ended the global health emergency that lasted 10 months for monkeypox, a viral disease that has recorded confirmed cases in over a hundred countries." Nicola Low, the deputy chair of the WHO Emergency Committee on monkeypox, stated that "there is a need to shift to a long-term public health risk management strategy for monkeypox instead of relying on emergency measures." She added, "This transition means incorporating the management of monkeypox and preparedness to address it within national disease monitoring programs, similar to those for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections."
For his part, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus explained that "the number of reported cases in the past three months is about 90 percent lower than the number in the previous three months." This step indicates that the crisis caused by the disease, which spreads through direct contact with body fluids and causes flu-like symptoms as well as rashes, has become manageable. The organization declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern in July 2022, reaffirming its stance in November and February.
