EmergenciesNews

World Health Network Declares Monkeypox A Public Health Emergency

The Health Network said there is a need for urgent actions to stop the ongoing spread of Monkeypox. It warned that millions of people would die, and many more would become blind and disabled.

The World Health Network (WHN), a global collaboration of scientific and citizen teams, has released a press statement describing the current monkeypox outbreak as a pandemic.

The WHN announced on Wednesday, June 22,  urging country and global public health authorities for “immediate and effective action” to control the outbreak with the least effort.

It said 3,417 confirmed monkeypox cases had been reported across 58 countries, and the outbreak is rapidly spreading across multiple countries.

Yaneer BarYam, World Health Network Cofounder, said, “There is no justification to wait for the monkeypox pandemic to grow further.”


“Even with death rates much lower than smallpox, unless actions are taken to stop the ongoing spread—actions that are practically implemented—millions of people will die, and many more will become blind and disabled.”

He added that there is a need for clear public communication about symptoms, testing, and contact tracing. 

“Any delay only makes an effort harder and the consequences more severe,” BarYam warned. 

He stated that most of the cases have been confirmed in adults but warned that any spread among children would lead to severe cases and more deaths, which would be more challenging to stop.

“The WHO needs to urgently declare its own Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)—the lessons of not declaring a PHEIC immediately in early January 2020 during COVID-19 should be remembered as a history lesson of what acting late on an epidemic can mean for the world,” said Eric Feigl-Ding, PhD, Epidemiologist and Health Economist, and co-founder of WHN.


Support Our Journalism

There are millions of ordinary people affected by conflict in Africa whose stories are missing in the mainstream media. HumAngle is determined to tell those challenging and under-reported stories, hoping that the people impacted by these conflicts will find the safety and security they deserve.

To ensure that we continue to provide public service coverage, we have a small favour to ask you. We want you to be part of our journalistic endeavour by contributing a token to us.

Your donation will further promote a robust, free, and independent media.

Donate Here

Of course, we want our exclusive stories to reach as many people as possible and would appreciate it if you republish them. We only ask that you properly attribute to HumAngle, generally including the author's name, a link to the publication and a line of acknowledgement. Contact us for enquiries or requests.

Contact Us

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Translate »