Monkeypox not a global health emergency ‘at this stage,’ says WHO
The World Health Organization saidThe rapid spread of monkeypox in more than 50 countries needs to be closely monitored. However it doesn’t warrant declaring a global health emergency.
A WHO emergency committee made a statement Saturday said many aspects of the outbreak were “unusual” and acknowledged that monkeypox — which is endemic in some African countries — has been neglected for years.
“While there were differences of opinion, the WHO director general was advised by the WHO committee that the outbreak should not be considered a global emergency.” saidIn a statement
WHO still emphasized the “emergency nature” of the outbreak. saidIt requires a “intense” response to stop its spread.
The committee saidThe outbreak should be closely monitored and reviewed after a few days. But it would recommend a re-assessment before then if certain new developments emerge, such as cases among sex workers, spread to other countries or within countries that have already had cases, increased severity of cases or an increasing rate of spread.
The World Health Organization has warned that the monkeypox virus could spread to other countries if the current outbreak isn’t controlled.
The WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus called the emergency committee after expressing concern at the outbreak of monkeypox among countries that have not reported it previously.
“What makes the current epidemic particularly concerning is the rapid spread into new countries, regions, and the risk for further, sustained transmission to vulnerable populations including pregnant women, children, and people with compromised immune systems,” stated the WHO chief. said.
Global spike in cases
Monkeypox has been a deadly disease that has infected people for decades in central and western Africa. However, until last month it was not known if the disease could cause widespread outbreaks in multiple countries simultaneously or involve people with no immunity. travelThese are links to the continent.
Declaring a global emergency in health means that a “extraordinary” event requires a global response and that a disease is highly susceptible to spreading across borders. Similar declarations were made by WHO for COVID-19 and Ebola in West Africa and Congo, Zika virus in Brazil, and for the ongoing effort against polio.
The emergency declaration is primarily a plea for more international resources and attention to an epidemic. The WHO is not able to convince countries to act, so previous announcements had mixed results.
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Quebec health officials are trying to contain the monkeypox epidemic in the province. Now, they want to keep people safe during summer gatherings.
WHO saidThis week, it confirmed more than 3,200 cases of monkeypox in 40 countries that had not previously reported the disease. More than 80 percent are from Europe.
Scientists warn anyone who comes into contact with someone with monkeypox, or their clothing, or bedsheets, is at risk of contracting the disease.
People with monkeypox often experience symptoms such as fever, body aches, or a rash. Most people are able to recover within weeks and do not require medical attention.
Rich-poor divide
Monkeypox is a disease that affects Africans who have come in contact with infected wild animals like rodents and primates. There have been around 1,500 cases of monkeypox reported, including 70 deaths, in Congo and Cameroon.
Scientists have not yet found any mutations that would make the monkeypox virus more transmissible, or potentially lethal. However, the number and severity of the changes detected suggests that the virus may have been spreading undetected for many years.
The version of the disease transmitting beyond Africa typically has a fatality rate of less than one per cent, while the version seen in Africa can kill up to 10 per cent of people affected.
Toronto resident shares his recovery from monkeypox. Advocates and officials agree that patients should receive more support during their long weeks in isolation.
WHO is also developing a vaccine-sharing system for monkeypox. This could allow vaccines to be sent to wealthy countries like Britain, which has the largest outbreak outside of Africa.
Experts warn that this could increase the inequalities between rich countries and poor nations during the coronavirus epidemic.
“France, Germany and the U.S. have plenty of resources and plenty vaccines to deal this problem and don’t need to get vaccines from WHO,” saidDr. Irwin Redlener is a Columbia University expert in disaster response and preparedness.
“What we should be doing, is trying to help countries in Africa where monkeypox is endemic and largely overlooked,” he said. said. “Monkeypox does not cause COVID. However, we should not let our attention drift to the point where it becomes a problem only in rich countries.
Source: CBC News