MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

WHO Chief recalls that mpox remains a public emergency

“I call on affected countries to step up their responses,” Tedros insisted

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recalled through a posting on X that mpox remained a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) after an emergency committee meeting Friday.

“My decision is based on the growing number and continued geographical spread of cases, the operational challenges, and the need to mount and sustain a cohesive response among countries and partners,” he wrote. “I call on affected countries to step up their responses and for the solidarity with the international community to help us end the outbreaks,” he added.

In August, the WHO declared that the mpox scenario on the African continent constituted a PHEIC due to the risk of global spread and a potential new pandemic. At a press conference in Geneva at the time, Ghebreyesus pointed out that outbreaks of mpox had been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo for more than a decade and that infections have increased in recent years. In July 2022, the organization declared a global emergency status for mpox due to the outbreak of the disease in several countries.

Mpox (formerly referred to as “monkeypox”) is a viral zoonotic disease. Transmission to humans can occur through contact with infected wild animals, people infected with the virus, and contaminated materials. Symptoms generally include rashes or skin lesions, swollen lymph nodes (lymph nodes), fever, body aches, headache, chills, and weakness.

The lesions may be flat or slightly raised, filled with clear or yellowish fluid, They may form crusts that dry and fall off. The number of lesions can vary from a few to thousands. The rash tends to be concentrated on the face, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet, but can occur anywhere on the body, including the mouth, eyes, genitals, and anus.

(Source: Agencia Brasil)