VOA健康报道--世界卫生组织考虑宣布猴痘为全球紧急卫生事件

搜索

复制

WHO Considers Declaring Monkeypox a Global Health Emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) held an emergency meeting Thursday over the worldwide spread of monkeypox.

The health agency is considering whether to declare the outbreak a global health emergency. But critics say the WHO is only deciding to act because the disease has spread to the West from Africa.

The declaration¹ means the WHO considers the monkeypox outbreak to be an "extraordinary event" and that the disease is at risk of spreading to more countries.

Many scientists doubt any declaration would help slow the disease. Developed countries recording² the most recent cases are already moving quickly to shut down the spread.

Last week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the recent spread of monkeypox "unusual and concerning." It has been identified in more than 40 countries, mostly in Europe. Monkeypox has sickened people for many years in central and west Africa, where one version of the disease there kills up to 10 percent of people. Outside of Africa, no deaths have been reported.

Oyewale Tomori is a Nigerian virologist who advises several WHO groups. He was critical of the WHO for organizing a meeting only after the disease appeared in Europe. "If WHO was really worried about monkeypox spread, they could have convened⁴ their emergency committee years ago when it reemerged in Nigeria in 2017," he said.

Until last month, monkeypox had not caused large outbreaks beyond Africa. And scientists have not found any major genetic⁵ changes in the virus. A leading adviser⁶ to WHO said last month that the increase of cases in Europe was likely tied to sexual⁷ activity among gay and bisexual men at two music festivals in Spain and Belgium.

People with monkeypox often experience symptoms like fever, body aches and a rash⁸. Most recover within weeks without needing medical care.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed more than 3,300 cases of monkeypox in 42 countries where the virus has not been typically seen. More than 80 percent of cases are in Europe. Meanwhile, Africa has already seen more than 1,400 cases this year, including 62 deaths.

David Fidler is a health expert at the Council on Foreign Relations. He said WHO's new attention towards monkeypox during its spread beyond Africa could worsen the divide between rich and poor countries seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He added that it was unclear if Africans even wanted monkeypox vaccines⁹, given the danger of more common diseases like malaria¹⁰ and HIV.

"Unless African governments specifically ask for vaccines, it might be a bit patronizing to send them because it's in the West's interest to stop monkeypox from being exported," Fidler said.

In January 2020, the WHO declared that COVID-19 was an international emergency. But few countries took notice until March, when the organization described it as a pandemic, weeks after other health organizations had already done so. The WHO was later criticized for its response throughout the pandemic, which may have created a quicker response to monkeypox, experts say.

Salim Abdool Karim is a disease expert with the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. He said the WHO and others should be doing more to stop monkeypox from spreading around the world. But he did not think an emergency declaration would help much. He said Africa knows how to handle diseases like monkeypox.

"Maybe they need vaccines in Europe to stop monkeypox, but here, we have been able to control it with very simple measures," Abdool Karim added.

Words in This Story

global — adj. involving the entire world

extraordinary — adj. very different from what is normal or ordinary

convene³ — v. to come together in a group for a meeting

gay — adj. sexually¹¹ or romantically attracted to someone who is the same sex

bisexual — adj. sexually attracted to both men and women

rash — n. a group of red spots on the skin that is caused by an illness or a reaction to something

patronize — v. to talk to in a way that shows that you believe you are more intelligent or better than other people

1 declaration   

n.宣布，宣告，宣言，声明（书），申报

参考例句：

• We read the declaration posted on the bulletin board.我们读了贴在布告板上的声明。
• At the recent convention a declaration was adopted.在最近举行的大会上通过了一项宣言。

2 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

3 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。

4 convened   

召开( convene的过去式 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The chairman convened the committee to put the issue to a vote. 主席召集委员们开会对这个问题进行表决。
• The governor convened his troops to put down the revolt. 总督召集他的部队去镇压叛乱。

5 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

6 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

7 sexual   

adj.性的，两性的，性别的

参考例句：

• He was a person of gross sexual appetites.他是个性欲旺盛的人。
• It is socially irresponsible to refuse young people advice on sexual matters.拒绝向年轻人提供性方面的建议是对社会不负责任。

8 rash   

adj.轻率的；n.（皮）疹，爆发的一连串

参考例句：

• My skin has broken out in an itchy rash.我的皮肤上突然长出一片让人发痒的皮疹。
• Don't be rash in making your decision.别轻率做出决定。

9 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

10 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

11 sexually   

adv.性别上地；按性别地；性欲地；两性之间地

参考例句：

• to be sexually promiscuous 性生活淫乱
• I was depressed,withdrawn and sexually frigid. 我郁郁寡欢，离群索居，没有什么性要求。 来自《简明英汉词典》