OREANDA-NEWS  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the WHO, declared the epidemic of smallpox in monkeys a public health emergency of international importance.

The day before, the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared a public health emergency due to the outbreak of this disease.

"Today, the Emergency Committee met and informed me that what is happening is a public health emergency of international importance. I took this advice," Ghebreyesus said.

According to him, in 2023, the number of registered cases of monkey pox has increased significantly, and this year it exceeded last year's figure - more than 14 thousand cases were registered, of which 524 are fatal.

"The rapid spread of a new variety of monkey pox in the eastern part of the DR Congo, its detection in neighboring countries and the possibility of spreading in Africa and beyond are of great concern. In addition to outbreaks of other smallpox species in other parts of Africa, it is clear that a coordinated response is needed to stop these and save lives," the head of WHO stressed.

He pointed out that the organization has developed a regional plan requiring an initial $15 million, of which it has allocated 1.45 million from its emergency fund, and asks donors to finance the rest.

Monkey pox is a rare viral infection that is also transmitted between humans. It is usually a mild disease, most patients recover within a few weeks, but some may have complications. Initial symptoms include fever, headache, muscle cramps, back pain, enlarged lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion. A rash may develop, often starting on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body.