The WHO has declared a global emergency

The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak of monkeypox (mpox) in Africa a “health emergency of international concern.” Reuters reported this on Wednesday, August 14.

“It is clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

He added that the WHO has already allocated $1.5 million to fight the new mpox outbreak and plans to allocate more in the coming days. In total, the organization’s infection control plan will require $15 million, and WHO intends to seek donor funding.

“The discovery and rapid spread of a new strain of mpox in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, its discovery in neighboring countries where mpox has not previously been reported, and the potential for further spread in Africa and beyond is very concerning,” Ghebreyesus said.

Congo recently experienced a new outbreak of monkeypox, which soon spread to neighboring countries including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. The Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) was forced to declare a continental health emergency (PHECS).

Monkeypox is a viral disease first discovered in 1958. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, a characteristic rash and itching. Acute illness is more common in people with weakened immune systems, children and pregnant women.

It will be remembered that because of monkeypox, the WHO has already declared an international health emergency, which lasted from July 2022 to May 2023.

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