Monkeypox declared global health emergency by WHO as cases surge

The global monkeypox outbreak has been declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization.

Since 2009, the most recent being for Covid-19, which was given the same label by the WHO in 2020, there have been seven such declarations.

Monkeypox can be found in animals in central and western Africa, but it can also be found in people. The latest outbreak has been unprecedented and cases are occasionally identified in countries that aren't endemic.

The US, Canada, Australia, Nigeria, Israel, Brazil and Mexico have all been hit by the disease.

The WHO said the outbreak was mostly among men who have sex with other men. However, experts have stressed that anyone can get monkeypox as it is spread by close or intimate contact, with the UN having warned that some media portrayals of Africans and LGBTQ+ people are harmful.

Soon, more details will be available.