Monkeypox outbreak can be stopped with appropriate methods: WHO

Health

A top World Health Organization (WHO) official stated on Tuesday that the quickly growing Monkeypox outbreak may be halted with the appropriate methods.

“We do at this moment still believe that this outbreak of Monkeypox can be stopped with the right strategies in the right groups,” said Dr Rosamund Lewis, WHO Technical Lead on Monkeypox at a press briefing in Geneva. However, she added that time was going by and all need to get together to combat the malady.

The spread of the virus was labelled a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday, the organization’s highest degree of notice.

“Through this, we hope to enhance coordination, cooperation of countries and all stakeholders, as well as global solidarity,” Lewis said.

Monkeypox poses a high danger to public health in Europe, but a moderate risk globally, according to WHO.

Over 16,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported in more than 75 countries this year. Lewis believes the true figure is likely greater.

She stated that many thousand instances were suspected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but testing facilities were limited.

“The global dashboard did not include suspected cases,” she said.

Until this year, the virus that causes monkeypox had seldom travelled outside of Africa, where it is prevalent, according to UN News. However, news of a few of cases in the United Kingdom in early May indicated that the outbreak had spread to Europe.

Lewis also stated that stigma and prejudice must be eliminated in order to improve the reaction to the sickness.

“At the moment the outbreak is still concentrated in groups of men who have sex with men in some countries, but that is not the case everywhere,” she said. “It is really important to appreciate also that stigma and discrimination can be very damaging and as dangerous as any virus itself,” she said.

Monkeypox can produce a variety of symptoms, including painful blisters. Some persons got significant symptoms that necessitated hospitalisation. Pregnant women, children, and immunocompromised people are at a greater risk of serious illness or consequences.

According to Dr. Lewis, WHO was collaborating with member countries and the European Union on vaccine release, as well as with partners to develop a worldwide coordinating structure. She stressed that mass immunisation was not necessary.

She emphasised the importance of increasing production capacity for smallpox and monkeypox diagnostics, vaccines, and therapies in nations with manufacturing capability.