By Jennifer Rigby and Mrinalica Roy Reuters
Published June 14, 2022, 10:19 p.m.
Updated June 14, 2022 10:31 am
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The World Health Organization will convene an emergency commission on Thursday next week to assess whether the outbreak of monkeypox is a public health emergency of international importance.
This is the highest level of warning issued by the UN agency, which currently only applies to the pandemic of COVID-19 and polio.
Read more: Canadian leads WHO fight against monkeypox
There are 1,600 confirmed and 1,500 suspected cases of monkeypox this year and 72 deaths, the WHO said, in 39 countries, including countries where the virus is common.
As of June 10, Canada had reported 112 cases of monkeypox, the government said.
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Monkeypox is endemic in parts of Africa, but there are more cases in these countries and in the rest of the world. The virus causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions and is spread through close contact.
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1:11 112 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Canada: PHAC 112 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Canada: PHAC
WHO Director-General Tedros Adanom Gebrejesus said it was time to consider stepping up the response because the virus was behaving abnormally, more countries were affected and international coordination was needed.
“We do not want to wait until the situation is out of control,” said WHO Emergency Director for Africa Ibrahima Sose Fol.
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