The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency after the virus reached more than 70 countries around the world.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference on Saturday that he decided the outbreak represents a “public health emergency of international concern.”
“WHO’s assessment is that the risk of monkeypox is moderate globally and in all regions, except in the European region where we assess the risk as high,” he said.
Tedros said the WHO’s International Health Regulations Emergency Committee came to a consensus at a meeting a month ago that monkeypox did not represent an international public health emergency, but the situation has changed.
He said the WHO had received reports of just more than 3,000 cases from 47 countries at the time, but more than 16,000 cases have now been reported from 75 countries and territories. He said there have been five deaths.
Tedros said the committee was unable to reach a consensus on whether the outbreak should be considered a public health emergency of international concern, but he considered five factors in declaring it an emergency.
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#BREAKING: WHO declares monkeypox a global health emergency https://t.co/8tM9Q5CViR pic.twitter.com/yhRxukMIMs
— The Hill (@thehill) July 23, 2022
WHO declares monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern. https://t.co/UwGkYpHFb6 pic.twitter.com/0tt3Auy52K
— The Hill (@thehill) July 23, 2022
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