Former Director Of WHO Explains Reasons For Monkeypox Needs To Be Watched, Especially Indonesia

Illustration. (Photo via Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The WHO has designated monkeypox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), or KKMMD (a public health emergency that is troubling the world). This makes this disease worthy of attention by the world community, including Indonesia.

Former Director of Infectious Diseases of the World Health Organization (WHO) Southeast Asia, Prof. Tjandra Yoga Aditama, said the Indonesian government needed to increase national vigilance against the possibility of transmitting monkeypox disease between countries.

According to him, there are four aspects to the status of monkeypox as a PHEIC. First, it must be formally declared by WHO.

Then it was an extraordinary event. Third, it poses a public health risk due to transmission between nations. Finally, it can require international coordination of handling.

"It should be noted that what is declared as PHEIC/KKMMD is not merely a disease, because Monkey Pox has existed since 1958, unlike COVID-19, which is a completely new disease," said Tjandra.

"What was declared yesterday as PHEIC/KKMMD is a 'multi-country outbreak of monkeypox', so because it exists in several countries with specifications," he continued.

Interestingly, usually the members of the “Emergency Committee” agree to state whether an incident is PHEIC/KKMMD or not, then the Director General of WHO inaugurates it.

"For this time, the members of the "Emergency Committee" have met twice and have not yet agreed, but because of the complexity of the problem, the WHO Director General yesterday declared it PHEIC / KKMMD," he said.

Tjandra said the statement of a disease or condition as PHEIC/KKMMD, of course not or not necessarily a pandemic. Several PHEIC/KKMMD Declarations so far have not become a pandemic, such as Zika, Polio and Ebola.