Testing remains a challenge for monkeypox virus, which has infected more than 6,000 people, both endemic and non-endemic, in 58 countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has given this information.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a press briefing on Wednesday that fewer investigations meant cases were not detected, increasing the risk of community spread.
He Said the WHO Was Following the Cases Closely and the ‘Scale and Spread of the Virus’ is Concerned
“Worldwide, there are now more than 6,000 cases reported in 58 countries. Testing remains a challenge and it is highly likely that a large number of cases are not being taken up,” he said.
Medical experts in the US and UK had earlier expressed concerns against slow testing.
American actor Matt Ford, the first person to publicly contract monkeypox, also criticized the US government for the “slow pace of vaccines and testing”.
“The Slow Response is Very Unacceptable,” Ford said
Monkeypox occurs mostly in central and western Africa, where the virus is endemic. But as part of the new outbreak, the virus has spread to many areas of the world where it is not commonly seen.
Europe Has Been the Current Epicenter of the Outbreak, Recording More Than 80 Percent of Cases Globally
Ghebreyesus said that in Africa, “cases are being reported in previously unaffected countries and record numbers are being reported in places that have had previous experience of monkeypox.”
Meanwhile, the WHO chief said he plans to ‘reconstitute the emergency committee’ later this month to consider declaring the virus a global health emergency.
The highest level of warnings by the UN health agency currently only applies to the COVID-19 pandemic and polio. It has said the virus is “unusual and concerning” and an “evolving threat”, but does not currently present a global health emergency.
“While my teams are following the data closely, I plan to reconvene the emergency committee so that they remain updated on the current epidemiology and development of the outbreak and the implementation of counter measures,” the WHO chief said.
“I Will Bring Them During the Week of July 18 or Earlier If Needed,” He Said
The global health agency is also working with countries and vaccine manufacturers to coordinate the sharing of vaccines, which are currently rare and need to be accessible to those most at risk.
Ghebreyesus commended those who are going public with the disease and said that the WHO is working ‘together with civil society and the LGBTIQ plus community’ to break the stigma surrounding the virus and spread information so that people can live their lives. be able to protect.
