Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), said that the international spread of monkeypox has not been designated as an international public health emergency at this time.
"At this point, this incident is not considered to be a global public health emergency, the highest alert issued by the WHO," Ghebreyesus said in a statement.
The WHO held an emergency committee meeting to discuss this issue on the 23rd, and although there were differences of opinion, the general conclusion was reached, Ghebreyesus said.
An international public health emergency is the highest level of alert issued by the WHO in relation to a global disease and currently only applies to COVID-19, which was issued at the end of January 2020.
However, Secretary-General Ghebreyesus warned that "the convening of an emergency committee meeting itself reflects growing concerns about the global spread of monkeypox" and that "monkeypox is a clearly evolving health threat."