The World Health Organization convenes its emergency committee on Thursday. It consider if the spiraling outbreak of monkeypox warrants declared a global emergency. Some experts say WHO’s decision to act only after the disease spilled into the West.
Declaring monkeypox to be a global emergency would mean the U.N. health agency considers the outbreak to be an “extraordinary event”. And that the disease is at risk of spreading across even more borders. It would also give monkeypox the same distinction as the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing effort to eradicate polio.
Many scientists doubt any such declaration would help to curb the epidemic. Since the developed countries recording the most recent cases are already moving quickly to shut it down.
Monkeypox has sickened people for decades in central and west Africa, where one version of the disease kills up to 10% of people. In the epidemic beyond Africa so far, no deaths have been reported.
To date, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed more than 3,300 cases of monkeypox in 42 countries where the virus has not been typically seen. More than 80% of cases are in Europe. Meanwhile, Africa has already seen more than 1,400 cases this year, including 62 deaths.
