Friday, the head of the World Health Organization in Europe issued a warning that the number of monkeypox cases in the region has tripled in the last two weeks and urged countries to do more to prevent the once-rare disease becoming endemic on the continent.

And African health authorities have stated that they are considering the rising monkeypox epidemic as an emergency, urging wealthy nations to share their limited vaccination supply to avoid the inequities observed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Hans Kluge, head of WHO Europe, stated in a statement that enhanced measures were necessary despite the U.N. health agency's judgment last week that the increasing outbreak did not merit a global health emergency declaration.

"Immediate and coordinated action is required if we are to stop the spread of this disease," stated Kluge.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States, over 5,000 cases of monkeypox have been documented in 51 nations that do not typically report the disease. According to Kluge, the number of illnesses in Europe accounts for almost 90 percent of the global total, with 31 nations in the European region of the WHO has reported cases.

According to data from the WHO, 99 percent of instances have occurred in men, with the majority occurring in men who engage in heterosexual activity. However, he stated that there are currently "small numbers" of illnesses among household contacts, including youngsters. Most patients reported rashes, fever, exhaustion, muscle discomfort, vomiting, and chills.

Scientists warn anyone who comes into close physical touch with a person who has monkeypox or their clothing or bedsheets runs the danger of contracting the disease. It is believed that vulnerable people, such as youngsters and pregnant women, are more likely to hire a severe illness.

Ten percent of the patients were hospitalized for treatment or isolation, and one individual was sent to the intensive care unit. There have been no reported deaths.

Kluge stated that the stigmatization problem in some countries could make some individuals hesitant to seek health treatment and that the WHO collaborated with partners, including the organizers of LGBT pride events.

The United Kingdom, the largest monkeypox outbreak outside of Africa, has reported that the disease is spreading through "defined sexual networks of gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with men." The British health officials stated that there were no indications of transmission beyond these populations.

In May, a prominent WHO advisor stated that the increase in infections in Europe was primarily attributable to men's sexual behavior at two rave parties in Spain and Belgium.

Before this weekend's LGBT pride celebrations in the United Kingdom, the city's senior public health official urged anyone with signs of monkeypox, such as swollen glands or blisters, to stay at home.

In Africa, however, the WHO reports that according to data from Ghana, monkeypox cases were relatively evenly distributed between men and women and that there has been no spread among men who engage in sexual activity with other men.

Additionally, WHO Europe head Kluge stated that the acquisition of vaccinations "must adhere to the norms of fairness.

The primary vaccine used against monkeypox was initially designed for smallpox. The European Medicines Agency announced this week that it has begun evaluating whether the vaccine should be approved for monkeypox. The WHO has said that vaccination supplies manufactured by Bavarian Nordic are highly restricted.

Countries such as the United Kingdom and Germany have already begun vaccinating individuals at high risk for monkeypox; the United Kingdom has recently expanded its immunization program to include gay and bisexual males with several sexual partners, believed to be the most susceptible.

Before May, monkeypox was only known to generate significant outbreaks in portions of central and west Africa, where it has been affecting people for decades, is endemic in numerous countries, and causes small outbreaks when it transfers from infected wild animals to humans.

There have been around 1,800 suspected instances of monkeypox in Africa, including over 70 deaths, but only 109 have been laboratory confirmed. Due to a lack of laboratory diagnosis and inadequate surveillance, many instances go undiscovered.

Ahmed Ogwell, the acting director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control, described this outbreak as an emergency.

The WHO reports that monkeypox has spread to previously unaffected African nations, including South Africa, Ghana, and Morocco. According to WHO Africa's director, Dr. Moeti Matshidiso, more than 90 percent of the continent's infections occur in Congo and Nigeria.

Vaccines have never been used to prevent epidemics of monkeypox in Africa; instead, officials have primarily relied on contact tracing and isolation.

Similar to last year's hunt for COVID-19 vaccinations, the WHO observed that countries possessing stocks of vaccines for monkeypox is not yet sharing them with Africa.

Fiona Braka, who leads the WHO's emergency response team in Africa, stated, "We have not received any donations from (poorer) countries." "We are aware that those nations with stocks primarily reserve them for their own populations."

Matshidiso stated that the WHO was discussing with producers and countries with stockpiles to determine whether they could be shared.

"We hope that the global spotlight on monkeypox will serve as a catalyst to eradicate this disease in Africa," she said Thursday.