According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and the International Health Response (IHR) Emergency Committee, the epidemic of monkeypox across many countries does not constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) "at the present time."

In a meeting statement released on June 25, the WHO determined that monkeypox does not currently constitute a PHEIC, defined as an "extraordinary event" that poses risks to the public health of other states through international transmission and necessitates a coordinated global response.

Some WHO committee members dissented, but the majority supported this conclusion.

Cases of monkeypox have decreased or reached a plateau in countries that initially experienced the pandemic. According to the WHO's study, 3,040 cases have been reported in 47 countries since May, including one death in an immunocompromised individual.

To date, most confirmed monkeypox cases have occurred in men, mostly gay, bisexual, and other men who have intercourse with other men, frequently presenting with genital lesions and generalized rashes.

More research is required to comprehend the transmission of the virus, but the WHO hypothesized that the increase in the number of reported cases might be linked to international gatherings and LGBTQI+ Pride events that encouraged sexual contact.

WHO Encourages International Cooperation

The outbreak has primarily affected countries with no previous experience of the virus, with the biggest number of cases being reported in European countries.

Even though a global plan is now judged superfluous, the committee recommended that cases be closely observed and revisited for a few weeks. As more evidence becomes available, countries might reassess this recommendation if there are significant changes in the development of the disease.

The committee determined that a reevaluation may be necessary if there is solid evidence of significant rises in the number of cases during the following 21 days, the incidence of cases in sex workers, and considerable spread to other nations or countries where the disease is already endemic.

It was also recommended to check for infection in immunocompromised individuals and children, as well as similar infections in animals or changes in the virulence or behavior of the virus, which could need a reevaluation of the situation.

The committee recommended that countries interact with each other and the WHO and adhere to WHO guidelines to aid other nations.