KONTAN.CO.ID - The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday it was ending a near year-long global health emergency for mpox, a viral disease that led to confirmed cases in more than a hundred countries.

The organization declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern in July 2022 and backed its stand in November and February.

The WHO's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, declared the end of the emergency status for the disease based on the recommendation of the organization's emergency committee, which met on Wednesday.

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The move signals that the crisis due to mpox, which spreads through direct contact with body fluids and causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled skin lesions, has come under control.

Almost 90% fewer mpox cases were reported in the past three months, compared with cases in the same duration before that, the WHO chief said.

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More than 87,000 mpox cases have been confirmed globally from the beginning of 2022 through May 8 this year, according to the WHO's latest report.

The WHO recently also declared an end of public health emergency status for COVID-19.

"While the emergencies of mpox and COVID-19 are both over, the threat of resurgent waves remains for both. Both viruses continue to circulate and both continue to kill," Tedros said.

The WHO tag is meant to trigger a coordinated international response and unlock funding for collaboration on sharing of vaccines and treatments.

Editor: Yudho Winarto