World Health Organization (WHO) has announced in its report on Wednesday that more than 50,000 cases of monkeypox have been recorded worldwide.
The WHO’s dashboard showed that 50,496 cases and 16 deaths have been recorded so far this year since the outbreak of the virus in July.
WHO chief officer, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus however said that the reductions in new infections proved the outbreak could be brought to a halt but transmission is slowing in the virus hotspots of Europe and the United States.
Ghebreyesus said: “In the Americas, which accounts for more than half of reported cases, several countries continue to see increasing numbers of infections, although it is encouraging to see a sustained downward trend in Canada,” he told a press conference.
“Some European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, are also seeing a clear slowing of the outbreak, demonstrating the effectiveness of public health interventions and community engagement to track infections and prevent transmission.
“These signs confirm what we have said consistently since the beginning: that with the right measures, this is an outbreak that can be stopped.”
On July 24, WHO announced its highest level of notification of monkeypox, classifying it as a public health emergency of international concern, alongside COVID-19.
Ghebreyesus added: “Eliminating monkeypox needs three things: the evidence that it’s possible, which we are now beginning to see; political will and commitment; and the implementation of public health measures in the communities that need them most. We don’t have to live with monkeypox.”
