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Julianna Frieman(Daily Caller)
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox, now referred to as mpox, a global health emergency on Wednesday.
The announcement comes after monkeypox cases have increased in Congo, with confirmed infections among adults and children in over a dozen countries in Africa, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
Approximately 96% of monkeypox cases and deaths have reportedly been in Congo, the Africa Centers for Disease Control (Africa CDC) previously revealed. Children below the age of 15 account for almost 70% of cases and 85% of those deceased, officials said, according to the outlet.
Thirteen African countries have recorded monkeypox outbreaks in 2024, the Africa CDC said, the AP reported.
“Today, the Emergency Committee met and advised me that in its view, the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “It’s clear that a coordinated, international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives.”
NOW – WHO’s Tedros declares global “mpox” emergency. pic.twitter.com/2CPJE1JUFR
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) August 14, 2024
Today, the Emergency Committee on #mpox met and advised me that in its view, the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice.@WHO is on the ground, working with the affected countries, and others at risk, through our…
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 14, 2024
The Africa CDC deemed monkeypox outbreaks a public health emergency earlier this week, counting more than 500 deaths, according to the AP.
Africa called for international assistance to stop the spread. The continent lacks sufficient vaccine doses as a new monkeypox strain spreads across the continent, the AP noted.
This is not the first time monkeypox was considered to be an international concern. In 2022, the WHO declared a global emergency regarding monkeypox after cases popped up in more than 70 countries where it had not been detected before, the AP reported. (RELATED: The Media Has Utterly Failed To Inform Americans About The Real Risk Of Monkeypox)
In 2022, monkeypox primarily affected gay and bisexual men with a death rate lower than 1%, according to the AP. Nearly 20% of gay men infected with monkeypox in the U.S. reported having sex with 10 or more people in the three weeks before symptoms emerged, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report in 2022.
Monkeypox is characterized by skin rash or mucosal lesions — which can persist for up to four weeks, according to the WHO. Other symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headaches, swollen lymph nodes, back pain and low energy.
