The WHO will again advise on possible measures to contain the monkeypox virus on Thursday. An alert level could also be declared.
Geneva – Tue Monkeypox is spreading worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has now called another emergency committee meeting for Thursday (July 21). It’s the second session in four weeks. Is the situation so dangerous that the WHO will recommend declaring an “emergency of international concern”?
More than 2,100 cases have been reported in Germany since mid-May. The US health authority CDC has counted more than 14,000 cases this year in countries where the virus was previously practically unknown. “We don’t want to wait for the situation to get out of hand,” said WHO specialist Ibrahima Socé Fall when the committee first convened in June.
Monkeypox is spreading worldwide: WHO concerned about the increase in infections
At Thursday’s meeting, the WHO Emergency Committee is expected to discuss measures to contain the disease. The experts should assess whether public health is threatened on a larger scale. At its last emergency meeting in June, the Emergency Committee advised against declaring an “emergency of international concern,” but the WHO is concerned about the spike in reported cases. The fact that the monkeypox virus behaves differently than previously known speaks for the declaration of an emergency. However, the number of infections does not increase explosively because, according to the current state of knowledge, transmission is much more difficult than with corona.
A Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) declaration is the highest level of alert that WHO can declare. However, this does not have any immediate effects. Rather, this should increase the attention of the 194 member countries. The expert council can recommend that clinics and practices keep an eye out for cases and provide information to ensure that as few people as possible become infected. The council also assesses the risk of international spread and risks to travel. What conclusions governments draw from this is up to them.
A less dangerous cousin of smallpox, which was eradicated about 40 years ago, monkeypox is commonly found in West and Central Africa. Since May, however, monkeypox has also been spreading to other countries, especially in Western Europe, including Germany. (sne with AFP/dpa)
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