Monkeypox: WHO warns of ‘clear risk of further international spread’. Read here

The Director-General’s issued a statement following the IHR Emergency Committee meeting regarding the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that they have made a set of recommendations for four groups of countries to combat the rapid surge in Monkeypox cases. 

“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.” the statement said.

“We have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly through new modes of transmission about which we understand too little and which meets the criteria in the international health regulations,” said the health body’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday.

The label of a “public health emergency of international concern” is designed to sound an alarm that a coordinated international response is needed and could unlock funding and global efforts to collaborate on sharing vaccines and treatments.

“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 adopt measures that protect the health, human rights and dignity of affected communities,” Tedros said.

So far this year, there have been more than 16,000 cases of Monkeypox in more than 60 countries, and five deaths in Africa.

A surge in monkeypox infections has been reported since early May outside the West and Central African countries where the disease has long been endemic.

Till now India has three confirmed cases of Monkeypox. The three of them are in Kerala, according to governmental data. 

Here is an understanding of the recommendation

Group 1

Those that have not yet reported a case of monkeypox, or have not reported a case for more than 21 days

Group 2

Those with recently imported 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 protect affected communities, to intensify surveillance and public health measures, 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.

Group 3

The third group of countries is those with transmission of monkeypox between animals and humans

Group 4

The fourth is countries with manufacturing capacity for diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics.

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