US calls for 'coordinated int'l response' to ramp up efforts to curb monkeypox spread

After the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Monkeypox virus a public health emergency of international concern, the White House has called for an action from the global community to end the spread of the virus. Raj Panjabi, Director of White House Pandemic Preparedness Office, in a statement on Saturday, July 23, stressed that a "coordinated international response" is required to stop spread of monkeypox and for protecting communities from contracting the disease

"A coordinated, international response is essential to stop the spread of monkeypox, protect communities at greatest risk of contracting the disease, and combat the current outbreak," Raj Panjabi said in a statement released by the White House. 

In the statement, Raj Panjabi stated that the Biden administration has been using a "robust and comprehensive strategy" to tackle monkeypox in the US since the earliest days of the outbreak. He underscored that the US administration has been ramping up the procurement, distribution and production of vaccines. Furthermore, the government has also started expanding the access to testing, treatment and communicating about monkeypox with the people who are most at risk of contracting the virus. Raj Panjabi said that they need to ramp up the efforts to "aggressively" tackle monkeypox and protect the people in the US. 

Monkeypox in US

The United States has reported 2891 cases of Monkeypox in the 2022 outbreak of the disease. The maximum number of cases of Monkeypox have been reported in New York where the total number of cases has reached 900. According to the US CDC, the monkeypox virus is spreading mostly through close contact with people who have been infected with the virus. Meanwhile, the US CDC Director, Rochelle Walensky told The Washington Post that they do not have a "stable estimate" regarding the projections related to Monkeypox. She further stated that they expect more cases of monkeypox "before there are less" with the "scale up of testing." She further informed that there have been two cases of monkeypox reported in children for the first time. 

Monkeypox spreading 'rapidly' across the world: WHO

 The WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has stated that the current outbreak of monkeypox constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. According to WHO, more than 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 75 countries and five deaths have been reported due to the virus. He said that WHO's assessment is that the risk of monkeypox is "moderate" globally, except in the European region where the risk is considered "high." He stated that the outbreak of monkeypox has been spreading "rapidly" across the world through new modes of transmission. He made the remarks at a press conference after the IHR Emergency Committee regarding the outbreak of monkeypox. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus informed that he has made a set of recommendations for four groups of countries, which include a coordinated response to stop transmission of monkeypox.   

Image: Shutterstock/Twitter/@RajPanjabi