Old Video Peddled as WHO Declaring Mpox 'No Longer a Global Health Emergency'

The viral video is from May 2023, when the WHO had announced that mpox was no longer a PHEIC.

Fact-Check | This video is old and is being shared with a misleading claim.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

A video of World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is being shared to claim that he has recently declared the end of monkeypox, popularly referred to as mpox, as a global health emergency.

What are users saying?: Those sharing the video have taken a dig at the the WHO and pointed out that it has reversed their decision yet again.

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: X (formerly Twitter)/Screenshot)

At the time of writing this report, the post had garnered over six lakhs views on the platform. Archives of similar claims can be accessed here, here, and here.

What is the truth?: The viral video dates back to May 2023, when Ghebreyesus had declared that the mpox was no longer a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).

How did we find that out?: We noticed the viral video had a watermark on the top-right side that said "Bloomberg Linea".

The viral video carried a watermark.

(Source: Viral video/Screenshot/Altered by The Quint)

• Next, we went through the official YouTube channel of Bloomberg Linea and found the longer version of the viral clip uploaded on 12 May 2023.

• Its title when translated to English said, "Monkeypox no longer a global emergency: WHO."

• It showed Ghebreyesus mentioning that he had declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern in July 2022. However, on the recommendation of emergency committee for mpox, he announced that it no longer presents a PHEIC.

Other sources: Team WebQoof found the same visuals uploaded on the official YouTube channel of the WHO on 15 May 2023.

• Its description said, "Almost 90% fewer #mpox cases were reported in the past 3 months, compared with the previous 3 months. The end of the global health emergency on #mpox is welcome news, but it remains important for countries to continue their preparedness efforts and act promptly when needed. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros."

What's the current status on mpox?: The WHO, in a news release on 14 August, said that the increase in mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries in Africa constitutes a PHEIC.

The release was published on 14 August.

(Source: WHO/Screenshot)

Conclusion: Evidently, an old video of WHO's Director-General is being reshared as his recent announcement on mpox.

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