Monkeypox: Global Health Emergency: 16,000 Cases Reported Across 70+ Countries, Up 77% In Weeks. Move over, China flu. It’s time for the butt flu. The World Health Organization is now declaring Monkeypox a global public health emergency. More than 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported across more than 70 countries so far this year, and the number of infections rose 77% just from the end of June through early July.