WHO to decide whether to consider monkeypox a global health emergency on June 23

As several countries register cases of monkeypox, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said it will convene a meeting with a committee of experts to determine whether the outbreak should be considered a global health emergency. While addressing a press conference on Tuesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the meeting will be convened on June 23. He underscored that the virus is mysteriously spreading outside Africa, especially in the United Kingdom. As of now, the UK registered at least 470 cases of the monkeypox. "We believe that it needs also some coordinated response because of the geographic spread," said Ghebreyesus.

According to the WHO Chief, if monkeypox is declared an international health emergency, then it would be given the "same designation" as the Coronavirus pandemic. The meeting of outside experts could also help improve understanding and knowledge about the virus, Tedros said, as WHO released new guidelines about vaccinating against monkeypox. As of now, the virus has been detected majorly in gay or bisexual men. British scientists said last week they could not tell if the spread of the disease in the UK had peaked.

"With the advice from the emergency committee, we can be in a better position to control the situation. But it doesn’t mean that we are going straight to a public health emergency of international concern," said Dr Ibrahima Soce Fall, WHO’s emergencies director for Africa, referring to WHO’s highest level of alert for viral outbreaks.

"We don’t want to wait until the situation is out of control to start calling the emergency committee," he added. 

What are monkeypox and its symptoms?

According to the European and American health authorities, monkeypox is a virus that originates in wild animals like rodents and primates. They noted the virus occasionally infects people. Most human cases have been in central and west Africa, where the disease is endemic. However, in recent days, several cases of monkeypox cases, mostly in young men, have been detected in Europe and the US. The health officials noted most patients only experience fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illnesses may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.

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