JawaPos.com – The World Health Network (WHN) health agency has determined monkeypox or monkeypox as a pandemic after Covid-19. So far this case has affected 3,417 people in 58 countries.
“This epidemic is growing rapidly across multiple continents and will not stop without concerted global action,” the health agency said in a statement. Live Mint, Monday (27/6).
Although the death rate is much lower than that of smallpox, the health agency is urging globally to halt its ongoing spread. According to the WNH millions of people could be affected.
The WHN said that an important goal of declaring Monkeypox a pandemic is to achieve concerted efforts in different countries or around the world to prevent widespread harm. They want the world not to wait for further contagion.
“The best time to act is now. By taking immediate action, we can control the outbreak with minimal effort, and prevent the consequences from getting worse,” the WHN said.
The official statement said the necessary measures now required only clear public communication of symptoms, widely available testing, and strictly quarantined contact tracing. The delay has made the case even wider.
“Any delay only makes the effort harder and the consequences more severe,” says New England Complex Systems Institute President and WHN co-founder Yaneer Bar-Yam, PhD.
They urged WHO to immediately declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). They criticized the WHO that Covid-19 was a lesson where at that time WHO did not immediately declare a PHEIC in early January 2020.
“That situation should be a lesson, a history of what late action means,” says Epidemiologist and Health Economist, and WHN co-founder Eric Feigl-Ding, PhD.
WHN thinks Monkeypox is much easier to stop. WHN urges immediate action by the CDC and WHO.
“Early action will have a bigger impact with smaller interventions. If effective action is taken now, larger and more disruptive interventions will not be needed. Health authorities and governments should learn from past mistakes in delaying response, the statement said.
What is Monkey Pox?
Monkeypox and smallpox belong to the same virus family, called Orthopoxvirus. Monkeypox is a viral infection that originates from rodents and primates and is transmitted to humans.
Found in Africa, mostly around tropical rainforest areas but has now spread all over the world especially in Western countries. According to WHO, Monkeypox usually presents clinically with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and can cause various medical complications. Monkeypox is usually a self-limiting disease with symptoms lasting from 2 to 4 weeks.
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Editor: Nurul Adriyana Salbiah
Reporter : Marieska Harya Virdhani
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