WHO Declares Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency

Declaring a global emergency means the Monkeypox outbreak is an “extraordinary event” that could spill over into more countries and requires a coordinated global response.

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Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency- Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 2: Governance, Administration and Challenges- Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency in News

Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) sounded its highest level of alarm for Monkeypox, declaring it a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’.
After three cases in Kerala, a case of Monkeypox has been detected in Delhi.
- This is the fourth case of the disease in India- and crucially, this is the first case in which the patient has no history of international travel.

What does it mean to declare Monkeypox as Public Health Emergency of International Concern?

Declaring a global emergency means the Monkeypox outbreak is an “extraordinary event” that could spill over into more countries and requires a coordinated global response.
- The threat level, however, is moderate for all regions across the world- barring Europe, where it is assessed to be high.
The Monkeypox as Public Health Emergency of International Concern declaration was also used for Covid-19 in January 2020.
This is the seventh time the highest alarm level is being used since 2009. These are the earlier instances:
- H1N1 pandemic (2009),
- Increasing polio cases (2014),
- Ebola outbreak in Western Africa (2014),
- Zika virus epidemic (2015-16),
- Kivu Ebola epidemic in Democratic Republic of Congo (2018-20), and
- Covid-19.

The WHO had advised not to confuse monkeypox with chickenpox, measles, bacterial skin infections, scabies, syphilis and medication-associated allergies.

Monkeypox Disease- Spread Across the World and India

Cases Worldwide: More than 16,000 monkeypox cases have been reported from 75 countries. Last month, 3,040 cases had been reported from 47 countries. Five people have died of the infection so far.
- WHO’s assessment is that the risk of monkeypox is moderate globally and in all regions, except in the European region where we assess the risk as high.
Cases in India: After three cases in Kerala, a case of Monkeypox has been detected in Delhi.
- This is the fourth case of the disease in India- and crucially, this is the first case in which the patient has no history of international travel.

What is monkeypox?

About: Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease with symptoms similar to smallpox, although with less clinical severity.
Origin: The infection was first discovered in 1958 following two outbreaks of a pox-like disease in colonies of monkeys kept for research, thus leading to the name ‘monkeypox’.

Monkeypox Symptoms, Effects and Treatment

Symptoms: According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), monkeypox begins with a fever, headache, muscle aches, back ache, and exhaustion.
Effects on Humans: The infection can also cause the lymph nodes to swell (lymphadenopathy), which smallpox does not.
- Skin eruptions show up within two days of fever.
- The rash is more concentrated on the face as is apparent in 95 per cent cases.
- In 75 per cent cases, it is found in the palm and sole of the feet.
- It affects the oral mucous membrane in 70 per cent of the cases.
- The conjunctiva, cornea of the eye and the genital area can also get affected.
- Patients should isolate and watch out for pain in eye or blurring of vision, shortness of breath, and decrease in urine output.
Period of Infection: Monkeypox is usually a self-limiting disease with symptoms lasting from two to four weeks
- The period of communicability is 1-2 days before the rash until all the scabs fall off/get subsided.
Monkeypox Treatment: According to the doctors, monkeypox is a very well-understood condition that can be managed efficiently with available clinical remedies. However, there is no proven treatment for monkeypox so far.
- The WHO recommends supportive treatment depending on the symptoms, and those infected are advised to isolate immediately.
- However, the smallpox vaccine, with which older Indians have been immunised over the past decades, works against monkeypox, and provides long-lasting immunity.
- Smallpox was eradicated in India in 1977.