Nearly 7,500 new cases of monkeypox were reported last week, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, up 20% from the previous week.

He pointed out that “almost all cases have been reported in Europe and America, and most of the cases are among men who have sex with men.”

He emphasized that “the main focus of all countries should be on ensuring their monkeypox preparedness and stopping transmission using effective public health tools”, noting that “vaccines can also play an important role in controlling the outbreak and in many countries there is a huge demand for vaccines, especially among affected communities.”

According to the World Health Organization, as of August 16, there were 36,412 laboratory-confirmed cases of monkeypox in the world, and 179 probable cases, including 12 deaths.