Second meeting of the Emergency Committee of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) in relation to the monkeypox outbreak in several countries
The director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has decided to declare smallpox “a public health emergency of international concern” , as reported. The announcement comes after the meeting of the organization’s experts in which they failed to "reach a consensus."
Despite this, Adhanom Ghebreyesus has used his powers as the organization’s top leader to make the decision based on the great spread of the virus in recent weeks. A month ago, when the committee of experts agreed to postpone the decision, some 4,000 cases had been diagnosed in the world, a figure that has multiplied by four in this time to exceed 16,500. The number of affected countries is now 75, practically double what it was then.
The health emergency declared this Saturday is the highest level of alert provided for by the International Health Regulations, a consideration that until now only the coronavirus and polio had. The measure confers powers at the international level to the WHO through recommendations that will be mandatory for member countries.
The director of the WHO has stated that “the new forms of transmission that have facilitated the spread of the virus are still poorly understood,” which is why it is necessary to increase surveillance at the international level and develop public health measures to identify new cases. “The risk of monkeypox is moderate globally, except in the European region, where it is high,” he added.
The Director-General of WHO recognizes the complexities and uncertainties associated with this public health event. Having considered the views of the members and advisors of the Committee, as well as other factors in accordance with the International Health Regulations, the Director-General has determined that the outbreak of monkeypox in several countries constitutes a public health emergency of international concern .
“We have an outbreak that has spread rapidly around the world through new modes of transmission, about which we understand very little and which meets the criteria of international health standards,” Tedros said in announcing the emergency.
The last time the WHO declared an international emergency was in early 2020, due to Covid-19. While the disease caused by the monkeypox virus currently spreading is much less serious than Covid-19 and spreads much less easily, there are good reasons for the WHO to declare an emergency.
