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35,000 cases of monkeypox: WHO |

“Nearly 7,500 cases were reported last week, up 20% from last week, also 20% more from last week.” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking during a regular press conference from Geneva.

The majority of reported cases have come from Europe and the Americas, and are predominantly in men who have sex with men.

Be prepared

“The main focus of all countries should be on making sure they are ready monkey poxand to prevent transmission using effective public health tools, including enhanced disease surveillance, careful contact tracing, appropriate risk communication, and community engagement , and risk mitigation measures,” said Tedros.

Currently, the global supply of smallpox vaccines for monkeys is limited, as is data on their effectiveness. WHO is in contact with manufacturers, and with countries and organizations willing to share doses of vaccine.

“We remain concerned that the unfair access to vaccines we have seen in the process COVID-19 The pandemic will repeat itself, and the poorest will continue to be left behind,” said Tedros.

COVID deaths ‘completely unacceptable’

The number of deaths from COVID-19 has also increased over the past four weeks, up 35%, with 15,000 deaths in the past week alone.

“Fifteen thousand deaths a week is completely unacceptable, when we have all the tools to prevent infection and save lives,” commented Tedros.

While people may get tired of COVID-19, “the virus doesn’t tire us out,” he said.

Omicron remains the dominant variant, with the sub-variant BA.5 accounting for more than 90% of the shared genome sequences in the last month.

Winter worries

Tedros reports that it is increasingly difficult to understand how the virus can change.

The number of sequences shared per week has decreased by 90% since the beginning of the year, and the number of countries sharing sequences has also decreased by 75%.

He warned that with colder weather approaching in the Northern Hemisphere and people spending more time indoors, the risk of more intense transmission would only increase.

“But none of us are helpless – get vaccinated if you haven’t already, and if you need a booster, get a booster shot,” he advised, alongside measures like wearing a mask and avoiding crowds, especially indoors.

“There is a lot of talk about learning to live with this virus. But we cannot live with 15,000 deaths a week.”


A mother holds her child in a refugee camp in Somalia after being forced to leave home due to drought.

© FAO

A mother holds her child in a refugee camp in Somalia after being forced to leave home due to drought.

Horn of Africa Crisis

Tedros also highlighted the ongoing crisis in the Horn of Africa, where millions of people are facing hunger and disease due to drought, conflict, climate change and the prices of food, fuel and fertilizers. fertilizer increased.

WHO has provided more than $16 million in emergency funds to meet the need, but more support is needed.

The agency is calling for $123.7 million to be used to prevent and control disease outbreaks, treat malnutrition, and provide essential medical services and medications.

Appeal for Tigray

Tedros said drought is intensifying “man-made disasters” in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, where war has raged for nearly two years.

About six million people are besieged by Ethiopian and Eritrean forces, he said, “locked off from the outside world, with no telecommunications, no banking and very limited electricity and fuel. ”

As a result, they are facing multiple outbreaks of malaria, anthrax, cholera, diarrhea and more.

“This unimaginable cruelty must end. The only solution is peace,” said Tedros.

At the end of the meeting, he called for more global attention to the situation in Tigray.

“I can tell you that the humanitarian crisis in Tigray is more than (in) Ukraine, no exaggeration. And I said it months ago, maybe the reason is the skin color of the people in Tigray.”

Ukraine ready for nuclear

A senior WHO official stressed the agency’s readiness to respond to any possible nuclear incident in Ukraine.

Dr. Michael Ryan, Chief Executive Officer, is answering a journalist’s question about the deteriorating situation around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

He said the WHO has been engaged with the Ukrainian authorities since the beginning of the war, including through the passage of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“We are in regular contact with the IAEA and are always available as a member of the UN system to respond, if there is a need to respond,” said Dr.

“A nuclear accident would obviously be catastrophic for the situation, for human life and for the environment, so we are still concerned about that. We are guided by our colleagues at the IAEA and will continue to provide medical response assistance to them and to the Government of Ukraine. ”

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