By Natalia Rueda 
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Mpox outbreak a global health emergency. The virus, Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has recently emerged in more than a dozen African countries, with major outbreaks reported in Congo. This viral outbreak is suspected to be capable not only of jumping from animal hosts to humans, but also of human-to-human transmission.
Cases worldwide?
Cases of monkeypox in Spain have set off alarm bells in European health organizations. In Colombia, more than 100 cases have been reported even before the WHO declared a health emergency due to the Mpox virus, a strain of monkeypox. In the midst of these events, the attention of the international health community is once again turning to Africa, where new strains of the virus continue to emerge.
🌍 | AHORA: El momento en que Tedros Adhanom, director de la OMS, declara la viruela del mono como emergencia sanitaria de interés internacional. pic.twitter.com/wkvUA6Mx2G
— Alerta News 24 (@AlertaNews24) August 14, 2024
Global health emergency
As the global community continues to reel from the COVID-19 pandemic, the emergence of monkeypox virus poses another major challenge to global health efforts. Dr. Tedros Adhanom, Director General of WHO, has stated that this virus now demands the highest level of international attention and concern, bringing back grim memories of the early period of COVID-19.
WHO is paying close attention to the threat of monkeypox becoming a new pandemic if it spreads intercontinentally. The transmission process of this virus is significantly different from that of COVID-19, complicating efforts to contain and prevent further spread.