Recalling the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, announced on Sunday that he is considering convening an expert committee to advise on whether the ongoing outbreak of the Mpox virus (formerly known as monkeypox) in Africa should be declared an international emergency. Since September, the number of cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has increased due to a strain of the virus recently detected in neighboring African countries.
Ghebreyesus stated that the UN health agency, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local governments, and partners are enhancing their response to the outbreak. He added on the platform "X": "But more funding and support are needed for a comprehensive response. I am considering convening an emergency committee to provide guidance on whether the outbreak of the Mpox virus should be declared a public health emergency of international concern."
A public health emergency of international concern is the highest alert that the World Health Organization can issue. Tedros, in his capacity as the organization’s director-general, can declare this emergency based on the advice of a committee of experts in the field.
He further mentioned in a statement to the journal "Science" that "this virus can be contained, and it must be contained, through intensive public health measures including surveillance, community engagement, treatment, and vaccination targeting the most vulnerable individuals."
What is monkeypox? Mpox (previously known as monkeypox) is a contagious disease caused by a virus that is transmitted to humans from infected animals and can also spread from person to person through close physical contact. The virus was first discovered in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The disease causes fever, muscle aches, and skin lesions resembling pustules.
