WHO Declares Monkeypox Outbreak an International Emergency

(Bloomberg) -- The recent emergence of monkeypox in dozens of countries is a public health emergency of international concern, the head of the World Health Organization said, paving the way for global cooperation to stop the spread of the virus. 

WHO’s assessment is that the risk of monkeypox is moderate globally and in all regions, except in Europe where the risk is high, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press briefing in Geneva on Saturday. 

“We have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly through new modes of transmission,” he said. 

The emergency status known as PHEIC -- pronounced “fake” -- applies to an extraordinary event that carries a public-health risk via the international spread of a disease, and one that potentially requires a coordinated response. 

The declaration from Tedros also underscores divisions within the organization over the severity of the threat. Nine committee members were against declaring the monkeypox outbreak a PHEIC, while six were in favor. 

A cousin of the smallpox virus, monkeypox has mostly been confined to developing countries for years, but has spread across Europe and the US in recent months. 

The pathogen typically causes flu-like symptoms, followed by a rash that often starts on the face and spreads down the belly. The illness often lasts for two weeks to a month, and can be deadly. 

Understanding Monkeypox and How Outbreaks Spread: QuickTake

The WHO said there are about 16,000 confirmed cases across 75 countries and regions, although most cases are from Europe. Five deaths have been recorded in Africa, the agency said. 

A large number of cases occurred in people between the ages of 31 to 40, and the majority of them were in male patients, the WHO said.  

Tedros said monkeypox outbreak met the three criteria for declaring a public health emergency of international concern under the International Health Regulations. 

The last PHEIC was the coronavirus outbreak, which was labeled as such at the end of January 2020. It’s the WHO’s highest alert level and can be used to encourage nations to cooperate on countermeasures, while letting the agency recommend steps such as travel advisories.

A large proportion of cases have been among men who’ve had sex with men, and many have occurred within sexual networks, though anyone can contract the disease. The UK government recently expanded the provision of the smallpox vaccine Imvanex, which is shown to be effective against monkeypox, to some at-risk gay and bisexual men to help control the spread. The EU has also approved Imvanex to target monkeypox.

“This is an outbreak that’s concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners,” Tedros said. “That means that this is an outbreak that can be stopped with the right strategies in the right groups.”

The WHO recommended that nations implement a coordinated response to stop transmission and protect vulnerable groups by offering international travel recommendations; intensifying surveillance and public health measures; and accelerating research into vaccines, therapeutics and other tools, among other recommendations. 

“We believe this will mobilize the world to act together. It needs not only coordination but solidarity,” Tedros said. 

(Updates with WHO Director-General’s comments, background information from third paragraph.)

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