On Wednesday, WHO figures showed that more than 50,000 monkeypox cases have been recorded in the global outbreak. However, transmission is slowing in the virus hotspots of Europe and the United States. The WHO chief, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated that the decline in new infections has proved the outbreak can be halted. In July, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global public health emergency, with the agency’s dashboard listing 50,496 cases and 16 deaths till now.

In a press conference, Dr. Tedros stated that along with America, which accounts for more than half of reported cases, several other countries have continued to see increasing numbers of infections, although it is encouraging to see a sustained downward trend in Canada. He also added that some European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, are also seeing a clear decline in the outbreak, demonstrating the effectiveness of public health interventions and community engagement to track infections and prevent transmission.

Earlier, the global health agency had triggered its highest level of alarm on July 24, classifying it as a public health emergency of international concern alongside COVID-19. At that time, Dr. Tedros stated that eliminating monkeypox needs three things: evidence that its possible, political will and commitment, and the implementation of public health measures in the communities that need them most. Along with the United States (17,994), other countries that have reported more than a thousand cases to the WHO in total are Spain (6,543), Brazil (4,693), France (3,547), Germany (3,467), Britain (3,413), Peru (1,463), Canada (1,228), and the Netherlands (1,160).