Indian expert slams WHO over monkeypox

A TOP Indian epidemiologist has slammed the World Health Organisation (WHO) saying the latter’s announcing the monkeypox outbreak as a public health emergency was premature since the disease poses low severity with a rare threat of increased outbreak worldwide.

Raman R Gangakhedkar, former head scientist of epidemiology and communicable diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, told Moneycontrol on Monday (25) that monkeypox is a ‘self-limiting disease’.

‘This is a self-limiting disease. If people get infected, they may get lesions but chances of fatality are extremely rare. From my viewpoint, declaring monkeypox a public health emergency is a premature move. I don’t think the conditions are strong enough for declaring this disease a public health emergency,’ he said.