On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that it still considers mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, as a global health emergency despite a decline in cases.

The emergency committee of the UN agency for health, which met last Friday, made recommendations that led to the director-general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, conclude the same.

The disease was initially identified in humans in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970. Since then, it has largely only spread among humans in a few countries in West and Central Africa. However, cases of the diseases, including fever, muscle aches, and big boil-like skin lesions, started to spread quickly over the world in May last year. The increase was observed among males who have sex with men outside of the African nations, where it has long been widespread.

The WHO declared it a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on July 23, 2022. Every three months, the WHO′s emergency committee on mpox meets to decide if the label is still accurate. According to Tedros, the committee recognized the advancements made in stopping the spread of the diseases.

However, more than 30 countries were still reporting instances, and he stressed that because not all cases may have been found and reported in some places, all countries should continue to exercise caution.

According to WHO data, 93 fatalities have been reported among the 85,860 cases of the disease reported so far across 110 countries.

(Source:  https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/mpox-still-a-global-health-crisis-who/97968488)