World Health Organization (WHO) has called for a meeting of the Emergency Committee on June 23 to assess whether or not monkeypox can be classified as a global health emergency. WHO’s concern comes after around 1,600 confirmed, 1,500 suspected cases and 72 deaths surfaced in more than 39 countries, of which seven already have a history of the disease, while 32 are newly affected. The health organisation has graded monkeypox as a “grade 3 emergency”, which is the highest level in their internal system. “A grade 3 emergency means that we are coordinating the response across all three levels of the organization – country offices, regional offices and headquarters,” reports WHO.
"WHO has now graded this crisis as a grade 3 emergency, the highest level in our internal system. A grade 3 emergency means that we are coordinating the response across all three levels of the organization – country offices, regional offices and headquarters"-@DrTedros— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) June 14, 2022
"So far this year, more than 1,600 confirmed cases and almost 1,500 suspected cases of #monkeypox have been reported to WHO from 39 countries – including seven countries where monkeypox has been detected for years, and 32 newly-affected countries"-@DrTedros— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) June 14, 2022
“The outbreak of monkeypox is unusual & concerning,” said WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a tweet, adding that the health organisation will convene “the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations next week, to assess whether this outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern.”
"The ???? outbreak of #monkeypox is unusual & concerning. For that reason I have decided to convene the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations next week, to assess whether this outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern"-@DrTedros— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) June 14, 2022
In a follow-up tweet, WHO wrote that their goal is to support countries to contain transmission and also prevent the outbreak with tried-and-tested public health tools, which include surveillance, contact tracing and isolation of infected patients.
“It’s also essential to increase awareness of risks and actions to reduce onward [monkeypox] transmission for the most at-risk groups, including men who have sex with men and their close contacts,” the international health organisation further added.
"It’s also essential to increase awareness of risks and actions to reduce onward [#monkeypox] transmission for the most at-risk groups, including men who have sex with men and their close contacts"-@DrTedros https://t.co/fOeL0gJO5p— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) June 14, 2022
WHO has also published interim guidance on the use of smallpox vaccines for monkeypox, mentioning that “decisions on use of smallpox or monkeypox vaccines should be based on a full assessment of risks and benefits on a case-by-case basis.”
"Today, we have also published interim guidance on the use of smallpox vaccines for #monkeypox. WHO does not recommend mass vaccination against monkeypox"-@DrTedros https://t.co/rlJ4zViSy1
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) June 14, 2022
It also stated that the health organisation does not recommend mass vaccination against monkeypox.
Monkeypox is an orthopoxvirus that causes a disease with symptoms similar, but less severe, to smallpox. It gets transmitted from animals to humans.
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