New Delhi: In the wake of a surge in cases, the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Saturday declared Monkeypox as a health emergency of global concern, as per a report by news agency ANI. With over 16,000 cases reported in 75 countries so far, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom said that the risk of monkeypox is “moderate globally and in all regions” and that the risk factor in the European region has been assessed to be high.
According to a reports, it is the seventh time that such a declaration has been made by the health organisation since 2009, the most recent being Covid-19.
As per the WHO chief, there is also a clear risk of global spread, although the risk of interference with international traffic remains low for the moment.
“So, in short, 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. For all of these reasons, I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern,” he said while speaking at the second meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee.
Meanwhile, India reported the third monkeypox case in Kerala on Friday, after a 35-year-old UAE returnee tested positive for the virus.
According to Kerala Health Minister Veena George, the Malappuram native arrived in the southern state on July 6 and had fever since July 13. He was undergoing treatment at Manjeri Medical College and his health condition is stable.
The minister further said that all those who came in close contact with the patient are being closely monitored, and their health condition is also stable.