The World Health Organization (WHO) announced this Saturday monkeypox outbreak as a global public health emergency following a rise in infections worldwide. So far, more than 16,000 cases have been reported in 75 countries. In total, Portugal has 588 confirmed cases of the virus, 73 of which were reported last week.
“We have an outbreak that is rapidly spreading around the world, about which we know very little and which meets the criteria for international health regulations,” the WHO Director-General said at a press conference after a meeting of the health committee. emergency.
With this in mind, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that “the global outbreak monkeypox constitutes a public health emergency of international concern”, with recommendations for four groups of countries.
The first of these groups includes countries that have not yet reported cases of monkeypox or have not had an infection for more than 21 days. The second covers countries with recent imported cases and human-to-human transmission. The third group includes individuals with transmission of the virus between animals and humans. Finally, the fourth includes countries capable of producing tests, vaccines and treatments, Ghebreyesus said.
The WHO director-general said this classification of a global emergency will help accelerate vaccine development and implement measures to limit the spread of the virus. “This outbreak can be stopped with the right strategies in the right groups,” he said.
Calling a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is, in fact, the most important warning the WHO can give the world. The rules of this process state that in order to declare a PHEIC, the situation being analyzed must meet three criteria: it must be an emergency event, with a high risk to public health in other countries, and requiring a coordinated international response. This is the sixth time WHO has used this global alert tool.
The monkeypox outbreak was classified as a global public health emergency at the end of the third meeting of the emergency committee on the issue, which took place this Saturday.
Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) monkeypox also met on wednesday assess whether the outbreak met the criteria for declaring a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, but no consensus could be reached.
“I have convened this Outbreak Emergency Committee because I need your advice to assess the immediate and long-term public health implications of this development,” the WHO Director-General said at the opening of the meeting of experts from various countries. regions and countries.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern about the rise in infections. Some countries are already recording a clear decline in cases, while others are now seeing an increase in infections, with six countries reporting their first cases last week.
“I am fully aware that any decision I make regarding the possible definition of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) involves consideration of many factors with the ultimate goal of protecting public health,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday. .
“This process has been challenging and challenging and there are different views among members of the Emergency Committee,” Ghebreyesus said, recalling that the outbreak is currently focused mainly on “men who have sex with men, especially sexual partners.” . However, “stigma and discrimination can be as dangerous as any virus,” the WHO spokesman warned.
Wednesday’s meeting was the second meeting of the Evolution Review Committee monkeypoxafter the first meeting, which took place at the end of June, the experts considered that the disease was not a PHEIC, when about 3000 cases were reported in 47 countries.
Portugal with 588 confirmed cases
Portugal had 588 confirmed cases of the virus on Wednesday. monkeypoxOf those, 73 have been notified in the last week, the Directorate General of Health (DGS) said, adding that the vaccination of close contacts has already begun.
All regions of continental Portugal and Madeira have reported human cases of VMPX virus infection, but the vast majority of the total cases (80.3%) have been confirmed in Lisbon and the Tagus Valley, according to the DGS weekly report released on Wednesday.
According to the weekly information provided by Health.
According to the DGS, an affected individual only ceases to be contagious after complete healing and crusting of the skin lesions, a period that can eventually exceed four weeks. The most common symptoms of the disease are fever, severe headache, muscle pain, back pain, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes with a progressive appearance of rashes affecting the skin and mucous membranes.
News updated at 17:24: Added information about the four groups of countries.