Admin l Saturday, July 23, 2022
GENEVA, Switzerland – The World Health Organisation(WHO) has declared monkeypox, a rapid spreading form of skin rash, a global emergency, noting that the disease is prevalent among homosexuals.
According to WHO, the way the skin diseases spreads meets the criteria of an emergency under International Health Regulations.
“For all of these reasons, I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern”, the World Health Organization’s Director, Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus, announced on Saturday during a press conference.
According to him, the current risk associated with Monkeypox is moderate globally and in all regions, except in the European region where the risk is high.
“There is also a clear risk of further international spread, although the risk of interference with international traffic remains low for the moment”, he added.
So far, over 16,000 cases have been reported in 75 countries and territories, with five deaths.
WHO’s chief said that although he was declaring a public health emergency of international concern, for the moment the Monkeypox outbreak is concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners.
“That means that this is an outbreak that can be stopped with the right strategies in the right groups”, he explained.
Tedros said that it is 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.
“Stigma and discrimination can be as dangerous as any virus”, he warned, calling on civil society organisations, including those with experience in working with people living with HIV, to work with the agency on fighting stigma and discrimination.
“With the tools we have right now, we can stop transmission and bring this outbreak under control”, he said.
