WHO declares Monkeypox as an international public health emergency

The World Health Organization, declaring the Monkeypox virus a public health emergency of international concern, has activated its highest alert for the growing outbreak.

The World Health Organization announced the decision on Saturday after it convened the second emergency meeting on the issue of Monkeypox. Director General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said, "I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern."

The World Health Organization's emergency meeting on Monkeypox was first held in late June. The organization's members reported severe concerns about the speed and scale of the virus outbreak but didn't constitute a public health emergency of international concern or PHEIC. The public health emergency of international concern comes from the 2005's International Health Regulations. It represents an international agreement to help, respond and prevent public health risks that have the potential to spread around the globe.

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, the US reports over 2,800 confirmed or probable Monkeypox cases in 44 states, including Puerto Rico and DC. Currently, there are over 16,500 cases reported in 74 countries globally.