Mpox is a global public health emergency says WHO chief

The Manila Times

Mpox is a global public health emergency says WHO chief  The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday, August 14, declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following an outbreak of the viral infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighbouring countries.  "It's clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a news conference in Geneva.  Determining a disease outbreak as a "public health emergency of international concern" or PHEIC — the WHO's highest level of alert — can accelerate research, funding and international public health measures and co-operation to contain a disease.   WHO VIDEO  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe  Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net    Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital    Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #TheManilaTimes  #worldnews  #globalhealth  #mpox

Transcript

00:00Last week, I announced that I was convening an emergency committee under the international

00:07health regulations to evaluate the upsurge of MPOCs in the Democratic Republic of the

00:13Congo and other countries in Africa.

00:18Today, the emergency committee met and advised me that, in its view, the situation constitutes

00:26a public health emergency of international concern.

00:30I have accepted that advice.

00:34It's clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks

00:39and save lives.

00:42A public health emergency of international concern is the highest level of alarm under

00:48international law.

00:50The Department of Regulation and Prequalification, through the Prequalification Unit, has been

00:53in contact with both manufacturers of vaccines, but also with therapeutics and diagnostics,

01:00for the last two years.

01:02As the emergency use listing was triggered last week, we accelerated the contact with

01:07the companies, and I can announce that one of the companies is prepared to submit most

01:12of the documentation needed by this week, by the end of this week, and we have a critical

01:17meeting with the second manufacturer of another vaccine beginning of next week.

01:22So our work schedule right now, we are appointing for convening the technical advisory group,

01:28the expert committee that will propose the adoption of the vaccines under the emergency

01:33use listing around mid-September, and our team has already convened experts for that

01:39technical advisory group with three tentative dates for the middle of September.

01:43So this is our timeline right now.

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