GENEVA, June 23. /TASS/. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus convened an Emergency Committee meeting in Geneva on Thursday to address the monkeypox outbreak, a news release of the World Health Organization reported.
"The Director-General of WHO is convening an Emergency Committee under Article 48 of the International Health Regulations in relation to the current outbreak of monkeypox virus. The meeting will take place on 23 June 2022 and is open only to members and advisors of the Emergency Committee," the release said.
"The objectives of this meeting are to provide views to the Director-General of WHO on whether the event constitutes a public health emergency of international concern and also on proposed potential Temporary Recommendations," according to the release.
A statement will be made public after the meeting. According to the press service, this is expected no earlier than on Friday, June 24. On June 18, the World Health Organization reported about 2,103 confirmed monkeypox cases in 42 countries this year, with one fatality.
Monkeypox is a rare viral disease mostly endemic to central and west Africa, often in proximity to tropical rainforests, the WHO said.
According to WHO data, the virus is transmitted to humans from animals, such as rodents and primates, while its human-to-human transmission has been rare. The case fatality ratio of monkeypox has historically ranged from 1% to 10% and has been higher among young children, the WHO claims. Though no specific therapy for monkeypox or vaccine against it are available, vaccination against smallpox and prevention have proved highly effective.