Geneva, May 23 (Agency) World Health Organization (WHO) chief on Monday described monkeypox, Covid-19 pandemic and invasion of Ukraine as “formidable” challenges to people around the world. The Independent quoted Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as saying at the UN’s World Health Assembly in Geneva that the Covid pandemic is not the only crisis in the world and warned of a “formidable convergence” of disease and other natural calamities fuelled by climate change and geopolitics. On Sunday, WHO had said that 92 confirmed monkeypox cases and 28 suspected cases have been reported in 12 countries.
The WHO said, “As of 21 May, 13:00, 92 laboratory confirmed cases, and 28 suspected cases of monkeypox with investigations ongoing, have been reported to WHO from 12 Member States that are not endemic for monkeypox virus, across three WHO regions. No associated deaths have been reported to date.” It further said that there will be more cases of monkeypox identified as surveillance expands in non-endemic countries. According to Sputnik, Monkeypox is a rare viral disease, which is usually transmitted to people from wild animals but also can be transmitted from human to human through bodily fluids, respiratory droplets, and other contaminated materials. The disease fatality rate ranges from 1 per cent to 10 per cent.