A World Health Organization official appeared reassuring today about the monkey pox virus, stressing that it is not going to cause a global pandemic like it did with Covid-19.

“mpox – regardless of whether it is the new or the old strain of monkeypox – is not the new COVID, as authorities know how to control its spread,” said Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. at a media briefing.

“We can and must face mpox together. So will we choose to implement systems to control and eradicate mpox worldwide? Or will we enter another cycle of panic and neglect? How we react now and in the coming years will prove to be a critical test for Europe and the world,” he added.

The World Health Organization yesterday recommended that countries affected by mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) start programs vaccination in the areas where cases have been recorded.

The outbreak of mpox in the People’s Republic of Congocaused by the clade 1b strain, and also affecting the Burundithe Kenyathe Rwanda and her Ugandawas the reason the World Health Organization (WHO) declared on August 14 a public health emergency of international concern, the highest level of health alert.

A total of 18,737 suspected or confirmed cases of mpox have been recorded since the beginning of the year in Africa, the African Union Disease Control Agency (Africa CDC) announced on Saturday.

WHO recommendations

The WHO recommends that countries, among other things, “initiate programs to promote actions vaccination against smallpox in outbreak areas, targeting people at high risk of infection (for example, contacts of cases, including sexual contacts, children, health workers and nursing staff).

As for the international transportthe WHO recommends “the conclusion or strengthening of agreements cross-border cooperation about the surveillance and the management of suspected cases of smallpox, the sharing of information with travelers and transport companies”.

But this must be implemented “without deciding on blanket restrictions on travel and trade that would have an adverse impact on local, regional or national economies,” he stresses.

WHO also calls on affected countries to establish or strengthen national and local emergency response coordination mechanisms, strengthen disease surveillance and detection by separating variants, and notify WHO of outbreaks “early and on a weekly basis.” base”.

It also urges them to improve research, fight the stigma attached to the disease and improve the skills of health workers for mpox by providing them with personal protective equipment.