WHO convenes emergency meeting on rising monkeypox cases

World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has announced that he is convening an emergency committee meeting in response to a surge in human cases of monkeypox.

"Given the spread of monkeypox beyond the Democratic Republic of Congo and the potential for further dissemination both within and outside Africa, I have decided to call an emergency committee to advise on whether the outbreak should be classified as a public health emergency of international concern," said the WHO chief, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The committee will assemble as soon as possible and will include independent experts from various relevant fields around the globe.

Monkeypox is a rare infectious disease predominantly found in remote regions of Central and West Africa. Symptoms typically include nausea, fever, rash, itching, and muscle pain.