WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at an online press conference from Geneva that the organization will hold a new committee meeting recommending the declaration of a global health emergency, the highest level of alert in the World Health Organization, in weeks beginning July 18 or earlier on this date.
At its previous meeting on June 27, the committee concluded that the outbreak had not yet become a global health emergency, despite high incidence both in African countries, where the disease is commonly spread, and elsewhere in the world. .
“I remain concerned about the size of the virus and its spread around the world,” Tedros added, adding that the lack of testing means there are likely to be many unreported cases.
He indicated that almost 80% of cases were recorded in Europe.
Monkeypox is a viral disease that causes flu -like symptoms and skin ulcers. It is endemic to many countries in West and Central Africa, and the incidence has risen worldwide since early May.
The mortality in previous outbreaks of the current circulating strain is about one percent.
Source: Al-Akhbar
