WHO declares Monkeypox a global health emergency

The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak of Monkeypox a global health emergency.

The classification is the highest alert that the WHO can issue and follows a worldwide upsurge in cases.

It was made known after the second meeting of the WHO’s emergency committee on the virus.

WHO’s Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, disclosed that more than 16,000 cases including five deaths have now been reported from 75 countries

According to a Graphic.com, there are only two other health emergencies at present; the coronavirus pandemic and the continuing effort to eradicate polio.

Speaking after the second meeting of the WHO’s emergency committee on the virus, Dr, Ghebreyesus said the virus was classified as a health emergency due to the rapid spread around the world which is of international concern.

He further noted that not much is understood about the new modes of transmission for which reason the disease has spread wider.

“The WHO’s assessment is that the risk of Monkeypox is moderate globally and in all regions, except in the European region, where we assess the risk as high,” he added.

Dr. Tedros added that the declaration would help speed up the development of vaccines and the implementation of measures to limit the spread of the virus while he advises countries to adopt ways of ensuring the spread of the virus is stopped.

“This is an outbreak that can be stopped with the right strategies in the right groups,” Dr Tedros added.