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Monkeypox declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by WHO

By on July 24, 2022

Following the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization’s Director General, has declared Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

“I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern,” Tedros announced yesterday.

A month ago, WHO said there were 3,040 monkeypox cases reported by 47 countries. Today, the outbreak continues to grow with more than 16 thousand new cases including five deaths reported in 75 countries and territories.

According to Tedros, there are 5 considerations under the International Health Regulations that define a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

First, that the virus has spread rapidly to many countries that have not been experienced before;

Second, the three criteria for declaring a public health emergency of international concern have been met;

Third, the advice of the Emergency Committee, which has not reached consensus;

Fourth, scientific principles, evidence and other relevant information – which are currently insufficient and leave us with many unknowns;

And fifth, the risk to human health, international spread, and the potential for interference with international traffic.

The International Health Regulation (IHR) requires that all countries have “the ability to detect, assess, report, and respond to public health events.”
Similar PHEIC status had been issued for H1N1 influenza from 2009 to 2010; Ebola from 2014 to 2016 and from 2019 to 2020; and the Zika virus in 2016.
There are two ongoing public health emergencies the world is currently dealing with: polio, which started in 2014, and Covid-19, beginning in 2020.

SYMPTOMS OF MONKEYPOX

The most common symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. This is followed or accompanied by the development of a rash which can last for two to three weeks. The rash can be found on the face, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, eyes, mouth, throat, groin, and genital and/or anal regions of the body. The number of lesions can range from one to several thousand. Lesions begin flat, then fill with liquid before they crust over, dry up and fall off, with a fresh layer of skin forming underneath.

Symptoms typically last two to three weeks and usually go away on their own or with supportive care, such as medication for pain or fever. People remain infectious until all of the lesions have crusted over, the scabs fallen off and a new layer of skin has formed underneath.

Anyone who has symptoms that could be monkeypox or who has been in contact with someone who has monkeypox should call or visit a health care provider and seek their advice. (source: WHO)

HOW DOES MONKEYPOX SPREAD FROM PERSON TO PERSON?

Monkeypox spreads from person to person through close contact with someone who has a monkeypox rash, including through face-to-face, skin-to-skin, mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-skin contact, including sexual contact. We are still learning about how long people with monkeypox are infectious for, but generally they are considered infectious until all of their lesions have crusted over, the scabs have fallen off and a new layer of skin has formed underneath. (source:WHO)

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