The head of the World Health Organization said on Saturday that the outbreak of monkeypox was deeply involved in the evolving threat but does not currently constitute a global health emergency. rice field.
WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Gebreyes convened an expert committee on Thursday to advise whether to sound the strongest alarm against the outbreak of the UN Health Organization.
A surge in monkeypox cases has been detected since early May outside West and Central African countries, where the disease has long been endemic. Most of the new cases occur in Western Europe.
This year, more than 3,200 confirmed cases and one death were reported to WHO from more than 50 countries.
"The Emergency Committee shared serious concerns about the scale and rate of current outbreaks," said Tedros, who focused on many unknowns about the spread and gaps in the data. ..
"At this time, I advised that this event does not constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concerns (PHEIC). This is the highest level warning that WHO can issue, but the convocation of the Commission itself. There is growing concern about the international spread of monkey pox. ”
Tedros said the outbreak is a“ clearly evolving health threat ”. He said that immediate action is needed to prevent further spread by using surveillance, contact tracing, isolation and patient care to ensure the availability of vaccines and treatments. Risk group.
Need "violent reaction"
"Most of the cases are found in men who have sex with younger men", mainly in urban areas Appears in. According to the WHO report of the conference, in "clustered social and sexual networks".
Although a few members expressed different views, the Commission resolved by consensus to advise Tedros that the outbreak was not PHEIC at this stage.
"But the Commission unanimously acknowledged the urgency of the event and acknowledged that strong response efforts are needed to control the further expansion of the outbreak."
Depending on how the outbreak progresses, they are waiting to be reconvened in the coming days and weeks.
The Commission recommended that countries improve diagnosis and risk communication.
Some members suggested that the low level of herd immunity to poxvirus infections could lead to persistent infections, but pointed out that many aspects of the outbreak were abnormal.
Knowledge Gap
The committee that considered this issue consisted of 16 scientists and public health experts, former director Jean- Chaired by Marie Okwo-Bele. The WHO Vaccine and Immunization Department
Thursday's five-hour private meeting was held directly at WHO's Geneva headquarters via a video conference.
The Commission discussed current observations of stagnation or potential declining trends in case numbers in some countries. Difficulty in tracking contacts with anonymous contacts, and "potential links to international gatherings and LGBTQ + pride events that help increase exposure opportunities through intimate sexual encounters."
They were also concerned that the potential stigma of the affected group could hinder their response efforts.
They said there was a knowledge gap about the mode of infection, duration of infection, access to vaccines and antivirals and their effectiveness.
Chickenpox rash
The usual early symptoms of monkeypox include high fever, swollen lymph nodes, and chickenpox-like rash.
The first outbreak has no epidemiological association with areas where monkeypox has been historically reported, suggesting that undetected infections may have continued for some time. ..
Few people have been hospitalized so far, but 10 cases have been reported among health care workers.
WHO's current plans to contain spreads focus on raising awareness among affected population groups and encouraging safe action and safeguards.
There have been six PHEIC declarations since 2009, the last being COVID-19 in 2020, but the global slow response to alarm bells is still ranked by WHO headquarters.
PHEIC was declared after the 3rd Emergency Committee Meeting on 30 January. However, it wasn't until March 11th that the rapidly deteriorating situation of Tedros was described as a pandemic, and many countries seem to have awakened to danger.