The World Health Organization has classified the current outbreak of Monkeypox as a Global Health Emergency.
The decision was taken via voting in an emergency meeting. Six officials voted in favor of the decision and nine against, said Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Over 15,000 cases have been reported so far from around 75 countries.
The UN body had earlier faced criticism from US President Trump for acting too late on tackling the COVID pandemic.
Gay men more at risk, says WHO
Transmissions can occur within households because of close contact between the residents, and those infections can either be mild or severe, said Dr. Rosamund Lewis, the technical head for Monkeypox at the WHO.
Questioned about why Gay men are more vulnerable, Dr. Lewis suggested a hypothesis that the social settings in the post-COVID world permitted closer, skin-to-skin contact between people, which may be one of the causes. The exact science behind it is being studied, she said.
The WHO officials warned against stigmatizing and discriminating people and urged world governments to uphold human dignity.
Read about symptoms, vaccinations, and medications for Monkeypox.