WHO chief convenes emergency committee over Mpox
Published: Wednesday, Aug 7th 2024, 19:20
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In view of a worrying variant of the dangerous disease Mpox in Africa, the Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) is to meet shortly. This was announced by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a press conference in Geneva.
The Emergency Committee advises the Director-General on whether the WHO should declare a "public health emergency of international concern" (PHEIC). New cases have been reported from four countries in Africa that previously had no known cases of Mpox: Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda.
There is a risk that the disease will spread further and also reach distant countries, said Mpox expert Rosamund Lewis. The world is very interconnected due to international flights. However, the WHO emphasized that it was not recommending any travel restrictions. Rather, people should be informed about the risks and authorities should be vigilant in order to detect outbreaks at an early stage.
The benefits of declaring an emergency
By declaring such an emergency, the WHO is urging governments to step up their surveillance, keep an eye out for outbreaks and prepare for a possible spread. All measures are decided by governments, the WHO has no authority to order measures.
From July 2022 to May 2023, there was already an Mpox emergency declared by the WHO. At that time, there were cases in numerous countries, including Europe.
However, a new variant, clade 1b, has developed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since September 2023. According to the WHO, this could be "more dangerous than previous variants. It spreads from person to person.
Mpox causes a skin rash and those affected often develop a high fever and muscle pain. The disease is particularly dangerous for children. The emergency committee consists of independent experts. It is not yet clear exactly when it will meet. Mpox used to be called "monkeypox".
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