What is the controversy? 

Monkeypox was declared a health emergency by the World Health Organisation Director General Ghebreyesus on 23rd July. The DG in his press release noted the spread of the disease in more than 75 countries of the world. He said that, “I have decided that the Global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern.” Was it a decision taken in haste or the jitters of an already harassed WHO? In the hindsight, the declaration followed the inconclusive results of the meeting on 21st July of the Second committee on IHR, which was supposed to provide conclusion whether to declare Monkeypox a Global emergency. Some experts reference the decision as a little to done in haste. They argue can the disease spread really be declared a global health emergency. 

What is Monkeypox and how did it originate? 

According to the WHO, human monkeypox is defined as a virus which spreads from animals like rats and other small mammals to humans and has symptoms similar to the smallpox. Some points for readers are the following: 

1. Monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease with the symptoms lasting from 2 to 4 weeks. Severe cases can occur. In recent times, the case fatality ratio has been around 3–6%. 

2. Monkeypox typically presents clinically with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications. 

3. Monkeypox virus is transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding.  

Monkeypox first originated in research labs monkeys in Amsterdam in 1958 and as told earlier first reported case was in 1970. Though some animal activists are appalled discrimination against monkeys only, because it can spread thru rats also. 

Source: read this article herehttps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/monkeypox 

Is Monkeypox spreading fast? 

 According to reports by World health organisation the virus as of 21st July has 15238 confirmed cases around the world and 72 probable cases with 5 deaths being reported. The questions still remain unanswered that was the decision to declare it as an emergency declared too soon are was more of a knee jerk reaction. To understand this we have to go into the background of the health crisis facing the world for the past 2 years. 

Is the decision to declare Monkeypox as a global emergency done in haste? 

The world has been struggling with the crisis of Corona virus for the past two years now. And royally the WHO has been at forefront of all the health decisions during these two years time period keeping the agency on it’s tenterhooks. During the past two years the criticism on how the things have been handled at the World health organisation have been severely criticized in the public and the science community. Experts have believed that the Covid-19 pandemic was declared too late (read here: https://www.euronews.com/2021/03/11/it-s-a-year-since-covid-was-declared-a-pandemic-did-who-act-too-late). In 2020 the spread had already happened since January 2020 but was declared in March 2020 when half the world had been affected. Countries went into, lockdown after the declaration on 11th March. This time with Monkeypox, the DG Ghebreyesus overruled his own appointed committee of experts and their indecision to declare the health emergency, he himself declared the emergency. Perhaps his premise is the near chaotic scenes is the hospitals in USA again where there are reports of patients filing in and stockage of medicines depleting fast. In the Netherlands also according to reports the patients are filling in daily in hundreds. In Africa too, the number of cases is increasing to newspaper reports and the biggest worry according to the experts it the unreported cases. India also registered its few numbers of cases in the month of July confined to Kerala and still no evidence of prevailing in other parts of the country. 

The day DR. Ghebreyesus announce don twitter his handle was flooded with both encouraging welcomes to the news, one comment said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Yet the sceptics declared and also with scepticism to the news quoted in Twitter, “I think you overplayed your hand.” Whatsoever is the premise behind the decision to declare monkeypox as a global health emergency is more than welcome for the people and nations to prepare themselves.