Geneva [Switzerland], August 8 (ANI): The World Health Organization (WHO) has convened an emergency meeting to address the recent increase in Monkeypox (mpox) cases originating from Congo.
In a post on X, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that an independent committee of experts will convene as soon as possible to examine the situation.
“Given the spread of #mpox beyond #DRC and the potential for further international transmission within and outside Africa, I have decided to assemble an Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations to advise me on whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern,” stated the WHO chief.
Mpox cases have surged in the Central African nation since last September, and a strain of the virus has now been detected in neighboring countries.
“The committee will convene as soon as possible and will consist of independent experts from various relevant disciplines worldwide,” Tedros posted on X.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement in response to an outbreak that has resulted in nearly 27,000 cases and approximately 1,100 deaths, many of them children, according to Al Jazeera.
According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, mpox has been detected in 10 African nations this year. Al Jazeera reported that over 96 percent of the cases are concentrated in the DRC.
The agency noted that cases have risen by 160 percent this year, with deaths increasing by 19 percent. The disease appears to be particularly prevalent among the young, with 70 percent of cases and 85 percent of deaths in the DRC occurring in children under 15, Al Jazeera reported.
The WHO declared mpox, also known as monkeypox, a global emergency in 2022 after it spread to over 70 countries. (ANI)
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