The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared monkeypox a global health emergency.

WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus today said the risk of monkeypox is moderate globally, except in Europe where risk is high.

It was reported earlier that members of a World Health Organisation (WHO) expert group were split over whether the monkeypox outbreak represented a global health emergency, but it was expected the agency’s director-general would still issue the maximum alert on Saturday.

The committee, which met on Thursday, provides advice to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who was responsible for making the final decision over whether to declare a global health emergency.

The label – a “public health emergency of international concern” – currently only applies to the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing efforts to eradicate polio.

In recent weeks, pressure has been increasing from scientists and public health experts for the WHO and national governments to take more action on monkeypox. There have now been more than 14,000 cases reported, and five deaths, from 71 WHO member states.

When the committee first met at the end of June, there were only about 3,000 cases.

The WHO alert serves to raise the alarm and can also unlock funding and global efforts to collaborate on sharing vaccines and treatments.

There are already effective treatments and vaccines for monkeypox, but they are in short supply. The WHO has also already been providing advice and updates since the outbreak began in early May.

At the first meeting of the expert committee, the group said it would reconsider its position on the emergency declaration if the outbreak escalated.

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