Monkeypox as an American Public Health Emergency – KRJOGJA

AMERICA, KRJOGJA.com – The United States (US) has declared monkeypox a public health emergency, the secretary of health said on Thursday (04/08/2022), a move that is hoped to free up additional funds and tools to fight the disease.

On Wednesday (03/8/2022) the US recorded 6,600 cases of monkeypox, almost all of them among men who have sex with men. “We are ready to take our response to the next level in tackling this virus, and we urge every American to take monkeypox seriously,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra said at a briefing.

The declaration will increase the availability of data on monkeypox infections needed for a response, said US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky, speaking with Bacerra.

The disease began to spread in Europe before moving to the United States, which now has the most cases in the world. Vaccines and treatments are limited and the disease is often left to sexual health clinics which have historically been underfunded to manage.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared monkeypox a “public health emergency of international concern,” the highest level of alert. The WHO declaration last month sought to trigger a coordinated international response and open up funding for collaboration on vaccines and treatments.

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