According to data released by the World Health Organization on Wednesday, more than 50,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported worldwide. Transmission, however, is slowing in Europe and the United States, which are the virus’s hotspots. 50,496 cases and 16 fatalities were reported to the UN agency this year, according to the WHO’s dashboard. In July, the outbreak was classified as a global public health emergency.
The decrease in new cases, according to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, demonstrated that the outbreak might be stopped. He said at a press conference that although it is good to see a sustained decreased trend in Canada, numerous nations in the Americas, which account for more than half of reported cases, continue to see rising numbers of infections. He added that the outbreak is also slowing down in certain European nations, including Germany and the Netherlands, proving the value of community participation and public health efforts in identifying illnesses and stopping their spread.
These indicators support what the WHO has been saying since the beginning: that with the proper steps, this pandemic can be stopped. Since early May, there has been an increase in monkeypox infections outside of the African nations where it has long been common. On July 24, the WHO declared it, along with COVID-19, a public health emergency of worldwide concern and raised the alarm level to its maximum level.
Three things are required for the eradication of monkeypox, according to Tedros: the proof that it is achievable, which is now emerging; political will and commitment; and the implementation of public health interventions in the populations that most urgently require them. He stated that monkeypox is not something we must tolerate.
