"Spreading Worldwide" WHO Declares 'Wonsungidujang' International Public Health Emergency

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on the 23rd (local time) regarding the monkeypox infection outbreak confirmed in more than 70 countries.

According to the Associated Press and others, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus held a press conference on the day and announced the declaration of PHEIC for monkeypox. Prior to this announcement, the International Health Emergency Committee held a meeting on the 21st to discuss whether to declare a PHEIC for monkeypox.

PHEIC is the highest level of public health alert that WHO can issue, enabling WHO to strongly promote research, funding, and international health measures to control the disease. The AP reported that although this measure is WHO's highest level of public health alert, it does not necessarily mean the disease is highly contagious or fatal. This measure has previously been applied to the Zika virus in 2016, COVID-19, and the Ebola virus in 2014.

It was reported that Director-General Tedros declared the PHEIC unusually without unanimous approval from the emergency committee members. He acknowledged, "I am aware that the committee members had differing views and that this was not an easy or simple decision," but emphasized, "Monkeypox is spreading through new transmission methods that we do not fully understand."

There is still controversy over whether the extent of monkeypox spread or its fatality rate meets the criteria for declaring a PHEIC, but it is interpreted as a message to raise global awareness of the seriousness and the need for proactive response before it spreads to more countries.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), since May, the number of monkeypox cases worldwide has rapidly increased to over 16,000 across 74 countries. Monkeypox has historically occurred in the Central and West African regions for decades but is now spreading globally, including Europe and North America. In cases outside Africa, 99% of monkeypox infections have been found in men.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.