The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the monkeypox as a global health emergency following its spread to over 70 countries.
The decision to issue the delaration was made by WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, despite lack of agreement among experts serving on the emergency committee of U.N. health agency.
This is the first time such an action was taken by the chief of the U.N. health agency.
Tedros 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.
“I know this has not been an easy or straightforward process and that there are divergent views among the members of the committee.”
Though a global emergency is WHO’s highest alert level, the designation does not mean a disease is transmissible or lethal.
WHO’s emergencies chief, Dr. Michael Ryan, disclosed that Tedros made the decision to put monkeypox in that category in a bid to ensure the global community takes the outbreaks seriously.
The declaration could trigger further investment in treating the disease and increase the demand for vaccines.
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