Monkeypox outbreak: WHO calls emergency meeting to assess global concern

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday called an emergency meeting to discuss the outbreak of monkeypox (Mpox) amid the recent surge in cases from Congo.

The meeting has been called to discuss whether the spread of the deadly virus is a cause for global concern or not. 

Sharing a post on X, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that a committee of independent experts will meet as soon as possible to look into the issue. 

According to sources, the Democratic Republic of Congo has seen over 27,000 cases of the deadly mpox virus, and recorded over 1100 deaths, most of them being children.

The mpox has been detected in 10 African nations this year, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said last week. Citing the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, sources reported that over 96 per cent of the cases are located in Congo.