A Facebook post from August 16 features an image of the World Health Organization’s Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, accompanied by a headline from an article published by The People’s Voice. The headline states, “WHO Orders Govts To Prepare for ‘Mega Lockdowns’ Due to ‘Deadly Monkeypox’ Strain.”
This post was shared over 1,000 times within three days. A similar claim on Instagram also garnered over a thousand likes.
However, the WHO has clarified that it “cannot and has not” issued any lockdown orders.
As of 2024, more than 14,000 cases of mpox have been reported globally, surpassing the total cases in 2023. The spread of mpox, an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to nearby countries led the WHO to declare it a global public health emergency for the second time since 2022.
The August 15 article falsely claims that the WHO has ordered governments to prepare for new lockdowns due to a “strong likelihood” that a new strain of the disease could trigger a pandemic.
However, there is no mention of lockdowns, quarantines, or other restrictive measures in the WHO’s August 14 declaration or in Dr. Tedros’ public remarks that day. Additionally, credible media reports do not support the claim of a “strong likelihood” of an mpox pandemic. On the contrary, reports suggest that mpox, which spreads primarily through close, skin-to-skin contact or contaminated materials, is unlikely to cause a pandemic, unlike the airborne COVID-19 virus.
More broadly, the WHO does not have the authority to issue orders to governments worldwide. As a scientific and technical organization, the WHO provides advice and support to its 194 member nations, but each nation retains the right to make its own decisions, according to WHO spokesperson Jasarevic.
When announcing the public health emergency, Dr. Tedros emphasized the need for a “coordinated international response,” which includes increased access to vaccines and $15 million in funds for disease surveillance, preparedness, and response. He did not mention any travel restrictions.
