Monkeypox cases tripled in last 2 weeks, warns WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) chief cautioned on Friday that the monkeypox cases in the region have tripled in the previous two weeks and urged nations to do more to ensure the previously rare disease does not become entrenched on the continent.

The health authorities in Africa mentioned that they are treating the expanding monkeypox outbreak as an emergency, calling on rich nations to share limited supplies of vaccines to avoid equity problems seen at the time COVID pandemic.

The WHO Europe chief Dr Hans Kluge stated that the increased efforts were needed in spite of the United Nations health agency’s decision in the previous week that the escalating outbreak did not yet warrant being announced a global health emergency.

Kluge mentioned in the statement, “Urgent & coordinated action is important if we are to turn a corner in the race to backwards the ongoing spread of this infection.”

Moreover, till now, over 5,000 monkeypox cases have been recorded from 51 nations worldwide that do not normally report the disease, as per the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Kluge said that the number of infections in Europe represents about 90 percent of the global total, with 31 countries in the WHO’s European region having identified cases.

He further mentioned that the data reported to the WHO show that 99 percent of the cases have been in men. The maximum issue is in men that have sexual intercourse with men.

But he mentioned that there were not “small numbers” of cases among household contacts, including children. Most people reported symptoms including a rash, fever, fatigue, muscle pain, vomiting, and chills.

Furthermore, the scientists alert the people who are in close physical contact with someone who has monkeypox, or their clothing or bedsheets is at risk of infection. Vulnerable populations like children as well as pregnant women are thought to be more likely to suffer serious diseases.