Monkeypox in Europe increases 3 times in 2 weeks, WHO asks to be alert

LONDON, KOMPAS.com – Head WHO Europe Hans Kluge on Friday (1/7/2022) warned that cases of monkey pox (monkeypox) in Europe has tripled in the last two weeks.

He then urged countries to do more to tackle monkeypox on the “Blue Continent”, as reported by Associated Press.

On the other hand, African health authorities say they are calling the current widespread monkeypox outbreak an emergency.

Also read: South Korea Announces First Case of Monkeypox, Alert Level Raised Immediately

Africa then called on rich countries to share limited vaccine supplies to avoid the inequality seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement, Kluge said that increased efforts to tackle monkeypox were urgently needed.

Although last week, WHO said that the monkeypox outbreak which is currently on the rise has not been declared a global health emergency.

“Urgent and coordinated action is essential if we are to change course in the race to reverse the ongoing spread of this disease,” Kluge said.

Also read: Singapore Finds 1 Case of Monkeypox Imported, 13 People Quarantined

To date, more than 5,000 monkey pox case has been reported from 51 countries around the world that would normally not report the disease, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Kluge said the number of monkeypox cases in Europe represented about 90 percent of the global total, with 31 countries in the European region having identified cases.

Kluge added that data reported to the WHO showed that 99 percent of cases occurred in men, with the majority being men who have sex with other men.

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