The WHO chief on Wednesday, July 6, reiterated his concern about the monkeypox outbreak and announced that he would convene an Emergency Committee to help him assess the severity of the crisis by the week of July 18 at the latest.
“With monkeypox, I remain concerned about the scale and spread of the viruswhich now has more than 6,000 cases in 58 countries, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing in Geneva.
Europe, the epicenter of the epidemic
On June 25, he deemed the outbreak did not warrant triggering the organization’s highest level of alert. “Testing remains a challenge, and it is highly likely that there are a significant number of cases that go undetected– emphasized Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, noting that Europe is the epicenter of the epidemic, with more than 80% of the cases registered in the world.
“In Africa, cases are emerging in previously unaffected countries, and record numbers are being seen in places that have previously had to deal with monkeypox.“, he added. At its June 23 meeting, the Committee had judged that the outbreak, while very concerning, did not constitute a “A public health emergency of international concern“, the organization’s highest level of alertness.
There has been an unusual increase in cases of this viral disease since May outside countries in Central and West Africa where the virus is endemic. Most cases found outside endemic areas involve men who have sex with men, although cases have been found in immunocompromised people and some children. Monkey pox presents with flu-like symptoms and a rash that usually resolves on its own after two to three weeks.
Source: Le Figaro
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