By Haruna Gimba
The first meeting of the Emergency Committee (EC) convened by the World Health Organisation (WHO) under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) regarding the upsurge of mpox 2024 has been set for Wednesday, August 14.
During the closed, virtual meeting, a list of EC members will be published on the WHO website in the coming days prior to the meeting.
The EC will provide its views to the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on whether the event constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.
If it is confirmed as public health emergency of international concern, the EC will advise on the temporary recommendations proposed by the WHO Director-General on how to better prevent and reduce the spread of the disease and manage the global public health response.
Health Reporters learnt that there have been 10 IHR ECs so far, including one concerning mpox, which held its first meeting on June 23, 2022.
