On July 23, the WHO declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MANAMA – Bahrain has reported its first case of monkeypox. The patient was diagnosed with the disease shortly after traveling abroad.
“The patient, a 29-year-old expatriate male, arrived in the Kingdom (Bahrain) after a recent trip abroad. The patient has symptoms and was isolated while receiving necessary treatment, according to the adopted protocol, “the Bahrain News Agency (BNA) said in its report on Friday (9/17/2022).
On Wednesday (9/14/2022), World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the prevalence of monkeypox cases globally has declined. But he still urged countries to be vigilant and reactive in identifying suspect patients.
On July 23, the WHO declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency or public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). “Although I declare PHEIC, for now the epidemic (monkeypox) is concentrated among men who have sex with men, particularly those who have multiple sexual partners,” Ghebreyesus said at the time.
He explained that, despite being declared PHEIC, the risk of a monkeypox outbreak was moderate globally, except in Europe. Ghebreyesus said the risk of spreading or transmitting the disease is high on the Blue Continent.
The designation of the PHEIC is designed to trigger a coordinated international response. With this status, funding to collaborate in sharing vaccines and treatments can be unlocked. So far, WHO has recorded more than 47,600 cases of monkeypox spread in 90 countries.
