WHO insists monkeypox can be contained if action is taken now

If swift action is taken now then monkeypox can be contained insists the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Addressing the UN agency’s annual assembly this Friday, May 27, the WHO director for Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness, Sue Briand, insisted that the spread of monkeypox can be contained if countries act now, according to chiangraitimes.com.

“We think that if we put in place the right measures now we probably can contain this easily”, Ms Briand declared. “For us, we think that the key priority currently is trying to contain this transmission in non-endemic countries”, she added.

There are currently 20 countries worldwide that have reported a total of around 300 monkeypox cases, either suspected or confirmed. These are countries where the virus was unheard of before. Monkeypox is endemic to western and central Africa, and its sudden spread to other parts of the globe has raised alarm as it spreads.

Ms Briand explained the WHO’s belief that member states of the United Nations should all the information they have about first-generation stockpiles of smallpox vaccines. This injection is effective against the monkeypox virus, and early detection and isolation of cases, combined with contact tracing, can help prevent any serious outbreak she assured.

While displaying a slideshow presentation that described global supplies as “very constrained”, Ms Briand said: “We don’t know exactly the number of doses available in the world and so that’s why we encourage countries to come to WHO and tell us what stockpiles they have”.

Rosamund Lewis, the WHO head of the smallpox secretariat, which is part of the WHO Emergencies Programme, insisted that: “Case investigation, contact tracing, isolation at home will be your best bets”. Mass vaccination has been advised against by the WHO, with the body suggesting that only close contacts of those infected need to be vaccinated.

Latest data from @WHO indicates more than 250 cases of confirmed and suspected cases of #monkeypox from 16 countries and several WHO regions. "This outbreak can still be contained," stresses Dr Rosamund Lewis, Head, Smallpox Secretariat, WHO Emergencies Programme. pic.twitter.com/c74nB2qO6k

— United Nations Geneva (@UNGeneva) May 24, 2022

LIVE: Technical briefing on #monkeypox at #WHA75 https://t.co/ejoP5FX4Ak

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 27, 2022

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