WHO declares new outbreak of monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern

The alarms are ringing again at the World Health Organization (WHO), after this Wednesday this organization that leads Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesusdeclared the current outbreak of mpox, formerly known as the monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of the Congolike a public health emergency of international scope.

And according to the information provided by the agency, Some 90 cases of this new strain, which is much more serious and lethal, have already been reported, especially in countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

Given this situation, and after the Emergency Committee made up of 16 experts analyzed the cases, the decision was made to declare a health emergency.

This is the second time in two years that this contagious disease has been considered an international health threat. The first alert was issued in May 2023, after its spread was contained and the situation was deemed to be under control.

This year alone, the WHO has received reports of 14,000 cases and some 524 deaths, although the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has reported that the number of cases has risen to 17,000.

Committee members are preparing a series of specific recommendations on these actions, which they will present to Tedros before the weekend, as highlighted by Efe. The OM