LONDON — The World Health Organization (WHO) will decide on Thursday whether to declare monkeypox a global health emergency, stirring criticism from leading African scientists who say it has been a crisis in their region for years. However, Nakounde said if the WHO declares a “public health emergency of international concern”, – its highest level of alarm – it would still be an important step. They will make a recommendation to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who makes the ultimate decision over whether to call the emergency. But the WHO is in a precarious position after COVID, said Clare Wenham, a global health assistant professor at the London School of Economics. If the WHO declares an emergency and countries do not act, it could undermine the agency’s role in controlling global disease, she said.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer June 23, 2022 19:13 UTC