The World Health Organization on Saturday said monkeypox outbreak represents a global health emergency that requires a coordinated global response. A global health emergency is the WHO’s highest level of alert that could unlock funding and global efforts to collaborate on sharing vaccines and treatments, Reuters reported.
Until now, the global health emergency label had only been applied to the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing efforts to eradicate polio.
India has reported three cases of monkeypox, all in Kerala.
Monkeypox cases have been mainly reported from parts of Central and West Africa for decades, but never in the past has the outbreak gone beyond the continent. However, during the last two months, several cases of viral infection have been reported from in Europe, North America, and elsewhere.
So far this year, there have been more than 16,000 cases of monkeypox in more than 75 countries and five deaths in Africa. Incidentally, there were only 3000 reported cases of monkeypox in June. The five-fold rise in nearly six weeks in the number of cases is seen as an alarming trend.
Members of an expert committee that met on Thursday in Geneva to discuss the potential recommendation were split on the decision, two sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Reuters earlier, but the final decision falls to the UN agency’s director-general.
Announcing his decision to declare the health emergency during a media briefing in Geneva, confirmed that the committee had failed to reach a consensus, with nine members against and six in favour of the declaration.
Previously, Tedros has typically endorsed expert committee recommendations, but the sources said he had likely decided to back the highest alert level due to concerns about escalating case rates and a short supply of vaccines and treatments, despite the lack of a majority opinion.
Lawrence Gostin, a professor at Georgetown Law in Washington, DC who follows the WHO, said he applauded the political bravery of the agency.
“It does nothing but burnish the stature of WHO. The right result is clear - not declaring an emergency at this point would be a historic missed opportunity.”
So far this year, there have been more than 16,000 cases of monkeypox in more than 75 countries and five deaths in Africa.
The viral disease - which spreads via close contact and tends to cause flu-like symptoms and pus-filled skin lesions - has been spreading chiefly in men who have sex with men in the recent outbreak, outside Africa where it is endemic.