WHO Calls Urgent Meeting Over Whether Monkeypox Outbreak Signals International Emergency

The monkeypox outbreak is being considered a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization's emergency committee.

An expert committee advises the Director-General on whether to raise the WHO's highest alert level, known as a phEIC.

To raise public awareness and sound the alarm for governments to take steps to contain an outbreak, as well as provide guidance on what measures they should take to do so.

The monkeypox outbreak will be assessed against three criteria: if it is serious, sudden, unusual or unexpected, if it has potential for international spread and if it requires a coordinated global response.

According to Forbes, experts believe the monkeypox outbreak is likely to meet all three criteria, though they note that it is not a foregone conclusion that the WHO chief will declare a PHEIC.

In an interview with Forbes, an associate professor of global health policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science said that there is subjectivity to the decision.

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The WHO responded to the committee's recommendation. In the days following the meeting, the decision will be communicated. Recommendations on what guidance the WHO can issue to countries to help contain the outbreak will be made if monkeypox is declared aPHEIC.

If the outbreak is declared aPHEIC, what will happen? Though they are not compelled to act, nations are expected to address a PHEIC. There is not much empirical evidence on what will happen if a PHEIC is declared or not. When the WHO sounded the alarm over the spread of a novel coronaviruses, there was a delay of nearly two months. There is a test for the WHO's authority after Covid. She said that it would be interesting to see if countries pay attention.

Crucial Quote

After declaring the spread of a novel coronaviruses aPHEIC, the WHO lamented the fact that the world only seemed to pay attention when Tedros described the situation as a "pandemic" According to Forbes, an assistant professor at the center for global health science and security at Georgetown University said that there is no legal declaration for a Pandemic. The whole point of aPHEIC is that it should happen before a epidemic. The idea is to put countries on alert.

Key Background

There are parts of Africa that have been affected by monkeypox for a long time. Treatments and vaccines are available and effective, but not necessarily widely available, because it is a close relative of smallpox, one of humanity's biggest killers and the only human disease eradicated through vaccine. Most known cases of monkeypox outside of Africa prior to the current outbreak have been linked to travel in the region, and the discovery of the virus in Europe and North America in May alarmed scientists. The fact that the virus appeared at the same time in many different countries suggests that it has been quietly circulating for a long time.

Tangent

African scientists and officials are upset that the virus has caused disease in parts of Africa for decades but only garners significant global attention after an outbreak in wealthy nations in Europe and North America. The WHO is pushing for the virus to "minimize the negative impact", and experts have called out the problematic rhetoric from many commentators. The organization no longer distinguishes between cases in endemic countries and cases in other countries outside these regions. There has been a flurry of homophobia as the majority of cases outside Africa have been among men who identify as gay, bisexual or have sex with men. Stigma will make it harder to contain the disease and it doesn't reflect the fact that the virus won't affect people regardless of sexuality. Monkeypox can only be transmitted through close contact with an infectious animal or person or objects that have been contaminated with an infectious disease. The virus can be spread through respiratory droplets produced when people breathe, cough, talk or sneeze and experts are looking into the possibility of sexual transmission after the virus was found in the semen of some patients.

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