(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
The World Health Organization said the escalating monkeypox
outbreak in more than 50 countries should be closely monitored but
that the situation has not reached the extent of a global health
emergency, Trend reports citing Euronews .
In a statement Saturday, a WHO emergency committee 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 a few members expressed differing views, the committee
resolved by consensus to advise the WHO director-general that at
this stage the outbreak should be determined to not constitute' a
global health emergency, WHO said in a statement.
WHO nevertheless pointed to the 'emergency nature' of the
outbreak and said controlling its spread requires an 'intense'
response.
The committee said the outbreak should be 'closely monitored and
reviewed after a few weeks.' 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.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus convened the
emergency committee on Thursday after expressing concern about the
epidemic of monkeypox in countries that haven't previously reported
the disease.
'What makes the current outbreak especially concerning is the
rapid, continuing spread into new countries and regions and the
risk of further, sustained transmission into vulnerable populations
including people that are immunocompromised, pregnant women and
children,' Tedros said.
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