WHO boss says he's 'worried' about rise in monkeypox cases
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), during a press conference in Geneva, December 20, 2021. REUTERS - DENIS BALIBOUSE
Text by: RFI Follow
3 mins
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed his concern this Thursday during the opening of the meeting of the Emergency Committee, seeking advice from experts before deciding on the accession to the highest level of alert of the organization.
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"
I need your advice to assess the immediate and long-term public health implications of the evolution of this event
," said the head of the WHO, who "
remains worried
" about the spread of the disease.
He is responsible for possibly declaring a public health emergency of international concern, the highest level of health agency alert, based on the Committee's recommendations.
Dr. Tedros had called on the experts to "(him)
provide the information and advice to inform his decision
", having "
perfectly aware
" that this "
involves considering many factors, with the ultimate objective of protecting public health.
".
The emergency committee meeting lasted less than six hours.
But the possible conclusions of the experts have not been made public.
The situation is getting worse
This Emergency Committee assessed epidemiological indicators, as the situation has worsened in recent weeks with more than 15,300 cases now recorded in 71 countries, according to the latest figures from the United States health authorities (CDC), the more up to date.
► To read also: Monkey pox: What symptoms? How to explain the current epidemic?
At a first meeting on June 23, the majority of experts recommended that Dr. Tedros not declare a public health emergency of international concern.
Detected in early May, the unusual upsurge in monkeypox cases outside central and west African countries where the virus is endemic has since spread across the globe, with Europe as its epicenter.
First detected in humans in 1970, monkeypox is less dangerous and contagious than its cousin smallpox, eradicated in 1980. In most cases, sufferers are men who have sex with men, relatively young, and living mainly in cities, according to the WHO.
Europe, the most affected region
"
This mode of transmission represents both an opportunity to implement targeted public health interventions, and a challenge, because in some countries, affected communities face discrimination that threatens their lives
," said Dr. Tedros.
“
There is a real concern that men who have sex with men could be stigmatized or blamed for the spike in cases, making it much harder to trace and stop
,” he warned.
I tried to contact the various centers that were listed.
In Paris, David, in contact with an infected partner, cannot find an appointment to be vaccinated
RFI
According to the latest WHO figures published on Thursday, as of July 20, Europe remains the most affected region with nearly three quarters of cases, followed by the Americas (22.9%).
Spain is the most affected country in the world, with 3,125 cases, ahead of the United Kingdom (2,137), Germany (2,110), the United States (1,965),
France (912)
, the Netherlands (656), Canada (604), Portugal (515), Brazil (384) and Italy (374).
In 77.2% of cases, the patients are men aged 18 to 44, and 98.1% of people who provided information about their sexual orientation are men who have sex with men.
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