monkeypox, including one death, have been reported to WHO from 42 countries. But WHO's Europe office and the EU health agency conveyed that 2,746 cases had been recorded in Europe alone till Tuesday. "The emergency committee will provide a recommendation to the director-general based on scientific principles, and an assessment of the risk to human health, the risk of international spread and the risk of interference with international traffic," the WHO said.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus then makes the final determination on whether a PHEIC should be declared, based on their advice.
A PHEIC is the highest alarm that the WHO can sound, under the International Health Regulations. Thursday's meeting will be held in private and a statement regarding the same will be issued on Friday.
A surge of monkeypox cases has been detected since May outside of the West and Central African countries where the disease has long been endemic.