WHO Declares Emergency Regarding Mpox Virus
Yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it had declared an international emergency regarding the mpox virus, which has spread rapidly in Africa and has so far recorded 14,000 cases and 524 deaths. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement, “The WHO Emergency Committee met today and gave me the advisory opinion that the situation (regarding the mpox virus) constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. I accepted this advice.”
What Happened?
Last November, WHO confirmed for the first time that the virus was sexually transmitted in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). African scientists warned that this could significantly complicate the control of the disease. In this context, the High Representative of the European Union (EU), Josep Borrell, emphasized the 10 million doses of vaccine needed to control the outbreak. “The Mpox outbreak in Africa is a health emergency. 10 million vaccines are needed to bring it under control. Global action and solidarity are urgent. “Together with our partners who are at the forefront of this effort, we have secured 215,000 vaccine doses to be donated to the affected countries,” Borrell said.
