The head of the WHO reiterated his concern about the outbreak of monkeypox on Wednesday July 6 and announced that he will convene the Emergency Committee, which must help him to judge the seriousness of the crisis at the latest. week of July 18.
"
Regarding monkeypox, I continue to be worried about the scale and spread of the virus
" which now has more than 6,000 cases in 58 countries, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, during a press briefing in Geneva.
Europe, epicenter of the epidemic
On June 25, he considered that the outbreak did not justify triggering the organization's highest level of alert.
“
Testing remains a challenge, and it is very likely that there will be a significant number of cases that are not identified
”, underlined Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, indicating that Europe is the epicenter of the epidemic, with more than 80% of cases recorded worldwide.
"
In Africa, cases are emerging in countries that were previously unaffected, and record numbers are being seen in places that have previously had to deal with monkeypox
," he added.
At its meeting on June 23, the Committee had judged that the outbreak of cases, although very worrying, did not constitute “
a public health emergency of international concern
”, the highest level of alert of the organization.
Read alsoMonkey pox: WHO calls for “urgent” action in Europe in the face of soaring cases
An unusual upsurge in cases of this viral disease has been detected since May outside the countries of Central and West Africa where the virus is endemic.
The majority of cases identified outside endemic areas concern men who have sex with men, although cases of immunocompromised people and some children have been identified.
Monkeypox manifests with flu-like symptoms and rashes, usually clearing up on its own after two or three weeks.
