Europe must ‘prepare’ for rise in COPD cases, warns EU health agency

The sharp increase in cases linked to this epidemic, particularly in Central Africa, prompted the World Health Organization to trigger its highest level of alert at the international level on Wednesday.

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A patient with MPOX in a hospital in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, on August 16, 2024. (GUERCHOM NDEBO / AFP)

Countries in the European Union and the European Economic Area should prepare for a rise in cases of COPD, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said on Friday (August 16). The agency “recommends that health authorities maintain a high level of preparedness planning (…) to enable rapid detection and response to any new cases”she said in a statement.

The first cases outside Africa were detected in Sweden and Pakistan this week, with the WHO warning that the European continent is likely to see more imported cases in the coming days. The likelihood of infection for people travelling from Europe to affected areas, and who have close contact with affected communities “is high”warned the ECDC in its press release. It believes “very likely” that European countries are facing an increase in imported cases of clade 1 “currently in circulation in Africa”.

The sharp increase in cases linked to this epidemic, particularly in Central Africa, prompted the World Health Organization to trigger its highest level of alert at the international level on Wednesday. A total of 38,465 cases of this disease, formerly known as monkeypox, have been recorded in 16 African countries since January 2022, for 1,456 deaths.


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