WHO says Europe is ‘Epicentre’ of Monkeypox outbreak

The World Health Organisation said on Wednesday that Europe remained the epicentre of the global monkeypox outbreak, which posed a “real risk” with more than 1,500 cases reported in the region.

The UN health body already announced on Tuesday that it would hold an emergency meeting next week to determine whether to classify the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern.

“Europe remains the epicentre of this escalating outbreak with 25 countries reporting more than 1,500 cases, or 85 percent of the global total,” Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, told a press conference Wednesday.

WHO’s European region comprises 53 countries, including several in Central Asia.

“The magnitude of this outbreak poses a real risk. The longer the virus circulates, the more it will extend its reach, and the stronger the disease’s foothold will get in non-endemic countries,” Kluge said.

Until the past few months, monkeypox had generally been confined to Western and Central Africa.

Kluge said that the majority of cases reported in Europe “have been among men who have sex with men”, but also warned against stigmatisation.

Read Also: WHO seeks Treatment for Skin diseases

He stressed, “that the monkeypox virus is not in itself attached to any specific group.”

The regional director also warned that the risk was increasing as summer had arrived with “tourism, various Pride events, music festivals and other mass gatherings planned across the region.”

“These events are powerful opportunities to engage with young, sexually active and highly mobile people,” Kluge said, but stressed that “monkeypox is not a reason to cancel events, but an opportunity to leverage them to drive our engagement.”

Speaking next to Kluge, Steve Taylor, director of the European Pride Organisers Association, said that some 750 Pride events were planned across the European region and welcomed the WHO’s recommendation not to cancel these events.

“Sadly, but entirely predictably, some of those who oppose Pride and who oppose equality and human rights have already been attempting to use monkeypox as a justification for calls for Pride to be banned,” Taylor told reporters.

The EU announced Tuesday that it had purchased almost 110,000 vaccine doses to help tackle the outbreak, though the WHO does not recommend mass vaccination against monkeypox.


Discover more from LN247

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Advertisement

Most Popular This Week

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

More from Author

Advertisement

Read Now

FG Strengthens Efforts To Tackle Food Export Challenges

The Federal Government has taken steps to address challenges in food export regulations through a partnership between the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. The collaboration also aims to unlock the healthcare value chain for transformative growth. The Minister of...

Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV): What You Need to Know

Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a relatively unknown but increasingly significant respiratory virus that has caught the attention of global health experts. Since its discovery in 2001, it has become one of the leading causes of respiratory illnesses, especially in young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised...

War on Drugs: Nigerian Authorities Arrest Over 14,480 in 2024

In 2024, Nigeria ramped up its war on drugs, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to curbing drug trafficking and abuse. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), under the leadership of Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), achieved significant milestones. Between January and October 2024, the NDLEA arrested...

Discover more from LN247

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading