The World Health Organization declared that the monkeypox outbreak is a global health emergency.
This is highest alert that can be issued by the WHO and it comes following a worldwide upsurge in cases.
WHO Dir. Gen. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus updated, after the second meeting of the WHO's emergency committee on the virus, that more than 16,000 cases have now been reported from 75 countries and that there had been five deaths so far as a result of the outbreak.
The monkeypox outbreak emergency is the third, with the coronavirus pandemic and the continuing effort to eradicate polio.
"The WHO's assessment is that the risk of monkeypox is moderate globally and in all regions, except in the European region, where we assess the risk as high," Dr Tedros said.
"This is an outbreak that can be stopped with the right strategies in the right groups," he added.