WHO declares Monkeypox as global outbreak of emergency

By Fatima Saka

The world Health Organization has declared monkeypox as a global outbreak that represents a public health emergency of international concern.

The Director General of World Health Organization, Dr. Tedro Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the declaration on Saturday at a zoom meeting press briefing on monkeypox.

According to WHO Director, after the committee consideration whether the outbreak represents public health emergency of international concerns, the decision was based on reports from the committee which shows that the virus has spread rapidly to many countries that has not seen it before, while the second criteria for declaring a public health emergency of international concerns under the international health regulations. 

He further set recommendations for those groups of countries with recent cases of monkeypox and that are experiencing human to human transmission. “This includes recommendations to implement a coordinated response to stop transmission and protect vulnerable groups to engage and project affected communities, to intensify surveillance and public health measures.

“Another recommendation is to strengthen clinical management and infection prevention and control in hospitals and clinics, to accelerate research into the use of vaccines, therapeutics and other tools and recommendations on international travel.

“The second group of countries is those with transmission of monkeypox between animals and humans. And the countries with manufacturing capacity for diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics”.

Speaking on, Dr. Tedro revealed that the International Health Regulations remains a vital tool for responding to the international spread of disease. 

“Public health emergency of international concern for the moment, this is an outbreak that’s concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners. That means that this is an outbreak that can be stopped.

“It’s therefore essential that all countries work closely with communities of men who have sex with men to design and deliver effective information and services and to adapt measures that protect the health, human rights and dignity of affected communities.

“Stigma and discrimination can be dangerous as any virus in addition to our recommendations to countries, I’m also calling on civil society organizations including those with experience in working with people living with HIV to work with us”.

In fighting stigma and discrimination, the DG of WHO said, stigma and discrimination,  “first it a violation of human rights and second, it can undermine our response. Our efforts to stop the transmission and bring this outbreak under control. So because of these two reasons, I think we ask government society to fight stigma and discrimination.

‘’We seek your strong commitment to uphold human dignity, human rights so that we can control this outbreak. With monkeypox”.