WHO Declares Monkeypox Global Health Emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox a global health emergency for the second time in two years, following the outbreak of virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo and its spillover into neighboring countries. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, Wednesday, that the Emergency committee that was created on the spread of this virus convened and notified him of the fact that the situation constituted an alarming global health emergency. During August 2024, WHO has declared the formation of an emergency committee under international health regulation on the spread of virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and its potential outbreak within and without Africa, after virus infections have been confirmed, with more cases being suspected in several countries. In addition, WHO declared a global emergency in July 2023, due to the outbreak of monkeypox, raising the highest level of alert in an attempt to curb the spread of the disease, which has affected thousands of people in several countries around the world. Monkeypox is a contagious disease caused by a virus that is transmitted to humans through infected animals. It can also spread from person to person through close physical contact, causing fever, muscle aches, and skin lesions resembling pimples. The virus was first discovered in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Source: Qatar News Agency