The WHO declares it a global health emergency
In 2022, the risk of monkeypox both in the U.S. and abroad was high.
Now, two years later, the World Health Organization (WHO) has once again declared the virus a global health emergency. Cases of monkeypox first started spreading rapidly through the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and the virus has since spread to several neighboring countries.
The emergence of a new clade of monkeypox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting cases in several neighboring countries are very worrying, said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general.
On top of outbreaks of other monkeypox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, its clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.
The current upsurge of monkeypox in parts of Africa, along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain of the monkeypox virus, is an emergency, not only for Africa, but for the entire globe, said Professor Dimie Ogoina, WHO committee chair. Monkeypox, originating in Africa, was neglected there, and later caused a global outbreak in 2022. It is time to act decisively to prevent history from repeating itself.
Cases are surging
The WHO explained that cases of monkeypox have steadily increased in the DRC and neighboring countries since the last big surge in 2022. However, in recent months, the number of cases in the region has increased exponentially.
To date, there have been 15,600 cases of monkeypox in the region this year, which already tops last years totals.
This strain of the virus, clade 1b, is not only more dangerous, but it is also spreading to countries where it has previously never been detected. Places like Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda are seeing this deadlier strain of monkeypox for the first time.
Additionally, other countries are seeing other strains of the virus, which has also made the outbreak harder to contain.
What happens now?
The WHO is working to get the two monkeypox vaccines that are currently being used around the world to the areas that need it most. The organization is getting the vaccines approved for Emergency Use listing, which will allow other relief aid organizations to distribute it to those in need.
To get this and other efforts off the ground, the WHO has also released $1.45 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies. The organization has also submitted a funding request of $15 million to further support the cause.
Significant efforts are already underway in close collaboration with communities and governments, with our country teams working on the frontlines to help reinforce measures to curb monkeypox, said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa.
With the growing spread of the virus, were scaling up further through coordinated international action to support countries and bring the outbreaks to an end.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2024-08-15 11:31:18
