UK: The World Health Network (WHN) - an independent coalition of scientists formed in response to the Covid-19 threat - said Thursday it considered the Monkeypox outbreak a 'pandemic' and urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to make such a formal declaration. The WHN pointed to over 3,500 confirmed Monkeypox cases in 58 countries and said the outbreak is expanding rapidly and 'will not stop without concerted global action'.
American public health scientist and WHN co-founder Eric Feigl-Ding tweeted: "Declaration - the WHN today announced they are declaring the current Monkeypox outbreak a pandemic with over 3500 cases across 58 countries and rapidly expanding across continents. The outbreak will not stop without concerted global action."
he purpose of declaring a pandemic is to achieve a concerted effort across multiple countries or over the world to prevent widespread harm, the WHN said in its statement.
Feighl-Ding called on the WHO to 'urgently declare its own PHEIC, or public health emergency of international concern, and reminded the health body of the 'lessons of not declaring a PHEIC immediately in early January 2020' - when the Covid pandemic was beginning.
- THE HINDUSTAN TIMES
Add new comment