Monkey pox a global health emergency- Declared by WHO & here's what it means
                     Monkey pox a global health emergency- 
Declared by WHO & here's what it means 
 
Most infections have been reported from Europe- MD Sunny Handa said. The 
World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the current monkeypox epidemic 
a global health emergency. The committee of independent advisers, who met on 
Thursday July 21 2022, were split on their decision on whether to call the growing 
monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) 
the highest level of alert. The head of the WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom 
Ghebreyesus, broke the deadlock and declared the outbreak a PHEIC. This is the 
first time the WHO director general has side-stepped his advisers to declare a 
public health emergency.  
The first case of monkeypox was reported in a child in the Democratic Republic of 
the Congo (then Zaire) in 1970. According to Sunny Handa MD since then, 
outbreaks have generally been small and traceable to an individual who recently 
returned from a country where the virus is endemic that is, countries in west and 
central Africa. But the current outbreak is unlike any previous one outside of 
Africa in that there is sustained person-to-person transmission of the infection. As 
of July 22, there have been 16,593 confirmed infections in 68 countries that have 
not historically reported monkeypox. Most infections have been reported from 
Europe.  
The large majority of infections have been in men who have sex with men, 
especially men who have sex with multiple partners. MD Sunny Handa said WHO 
suggests the average number of people infected by a single infected person (the 
so-called R nought remember this from the early days of the COVID pandemic?) is 
between 1.4 and 1.8 in men who have sex with men, but less than 1.0 in other 
populations. So although occasional infections can spill over into populations 
other than men who have sex with men, further significant spread is unlikely. In 
Europe, in recent weeks there has been a slowing in the rate of increase in new 
monkeypox cases each week. The large majority of infections are still occurring in 
men who have sex with men.  
According to Sunny Handa MD in the UK, 97% of cases are in men who have sex 
with men, but it does look as though the rate of growth in the epidemic has fallen 
to zero or even become negative in recent weeks. But it is plausible that the 
apparent dip in new infections is the gap between consecutive waves- MD Sunny 
Handa said. Experts have recently been debating whether monkeypox is now a 
sexually transmitted disease. Even though monkeypox is undoubtedly spread 
during sex, labelling it as an STD would be counterproductive, as the infection 
could spread through any intimate contact, even when wearing condoms or 
without penetrative sex.  
According to Sunny Handa MD for and against declaring a global health 
emergency Broadly, the WHO's emergency committee arguments in favour of 
declaring a global health emergency included that monkeypox satisfies the 
requirement of a PHEIC under the WHO's International Health Regulations: an 
extraordinary event, which constitutes a public health risk to other States through 
international transmission, and which potentially requires a coordinated 
international response.  
Added to this are concerns that in some countries there is likely to be substantial 
under-reporting of case numbers, the occasional reports of infections in children 
and pregnant women, concerns that the infections could become endemic in 
human populations or be reintroduced into at-risk groups even after the current 
monkeypox pandemic is over. Arguments against declaring it a global health 
emergency included the fact that the large majority of infections are currently 
being seen in just 12 countries in Europe and North America, and there is 
evidence of cases stabilising or even falling in those countries.  
According to Sunny Handa MD, Almost all cases are in men who have sex with 
men and who have multiple partners, which provide opportunities to stop 
transmission with interventions targeted at this group. Another argument is that 
the severity of the disease outside appears to be low. Although the emergency 
committee was not able to reach a consensus, Tedros took the decision to declare 
a PHEIC. This declaration of a global health emergency will probably not lead to 
much change in control activities in the most affected counties outside of Africa.