WHO announces global health emergency over monkeypox virus

The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced on Saturday that the quickly growing global monkeypox virus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

WHO director general Tedros Adhanom said that the disease has spread in more than 70 countries, as it described as an extraordinary situation.

Tedros took the highest alert level because of concerns about escalating case numbers and a short supply of vaccines and treatments, in order to the majority’s disapproval, the sources added.

“Vaccination in the West might help stop the outbreak there, but there will still be cases in Africa. Unless the problem solved here, the risk to the rest of the world will remain.” Placide Mbala, director of the global health department at Congo’s Institute of National Biomedical Research, said.

The committee failed to come up with the decision, as nine members refuse and six approve the declaration, Tedros assured.

Monkeypox has been spread mostly in the developing countries until the last few months when it invaded across Europe and the US.

The declaration means the WHO fears the monkeypox outbreak could spill over more countries and requires a coordinated response.

Monkeypox is not endemic in about 65 countries, according to the WHO.

Human monkeypox identified for the first time in 1970 in Congo, while the disease maiden reported in the US in June 2003.