WHO calls for 'urgent' action in Europe to contain monkeypox spread

The World Health Oreganisation (WHO) on Friday (July 1) gave a call for 'urgent' action to prevent further spread of monkeypox in Europe. United Nation's global heath agency said that cases in the continent have tripled in past two weeks.

"Today, I am intensifying my call for governments and civil society to scale up efforts in the coming weeks and months to prevent monkeypox from establishing itself across a growing geographical area. Urgent and coordinated action is imperative if we are to turn a corner in the race to reverse the ongoing spread of this disease," WHO Regional Director for Europe, Hans Henri Kluge said.

Majority of the countries where monkeypox cases have reached three figure mark are in Europe.

Earlier this week, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that he was 'concerned' about 'sustained transmission' of monkeypox virus.

"I am concerned about sustained transmission because it would suggest that the virus is establishing itself and it could move into high-risk groups including children, the immunocompromised and pregnant women," he said. He was talking with reporters.

Last week the UN health agency convened an emergency committee of experts to decide if monkeypox constitutes a so-called Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the highest alarm that the WHO can sound.

(With inputs from agencies)

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