With more than 7,600 cases throughout 58 countries globally, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) urges the World Health Organization not to repeat the past mistake of delaying declarations for COVID-19 and immediately declare the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).
A PHEIC declaration for monkeypox would also add urgency to produce and widely distribute sufficient quantities of vaccines and tests. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has already approved JYNNEOS, a smallpox vaccine, for use to prevent monkeypox infection. The European Medicines Agency is considering the same for Imvanex, the same drug marketed under a different name, according to Health Policy Watch.
AHF issued a previous statement calling on the WHO to declare the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after the global health agency failed to do so at its meeting on June 25.
