WHO declares monkeypox a global health emergency
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LONDON — The chief of the World Health Organization says the expanding monkeypox outbreak in more than 70 countries is an “extraordinary” situation that qualifies as a global emergency.
The head of the U.N. health agency made the decision to issue the declaration Saturday after WHO’s expert committee didn’t reach a consensus.
Monkeypox has been established in parts of central and west Africa for decades. It wasn’t known to spark large outbreaks beyond the continent or to spread widely among people until May. That’s when authorities detected epidemics in Europe, North America, and elsewhere.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 74 countries. To date, monkeypox deaths have only been reported in Africa, where a more dangerous version of the virus is spreading, mainly in Nigeria and Congo.
