WHO outbreaks of diseases such as monkeypox becoming more frequent

Mike Ryan, director of emergencies at the World Health Organization, has warned that outbreaks of endemic diseases such as monkeypox and Lassa fever are becoming more persistent and frequent.

As climate change contributes to rapidly changing climatic conditions such as drought, animals and humans change their foraging behavior. As a result, he said, diseases that normally circulate in animals are increasingly jumping to humans.

“Unfortunately, this ability to amplify and transmit this disease is increasing within our communities – so the emergence and amplification factors for disease have increased.”

MI