The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the current monkeypox epidemic a global health emergency.
The committee of independent advisers who met on Thursday July 21 2022, were split on their decision on whether to call the growing monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) – the highest level of alert.
The head of the WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, broke the deadlock and declared the outbreak a PHEIC. This is the first time the WHO director general has side-stepped his advisers to declare a public health emergency.