The World Health Organization said a widening outbreak of monkeypox in more than 70 countries is an emergency that now qualifies as a global emergency. The announcement, made Saturday, could spur further investment in treating the once-rare disease and exacerbate the fight for scarce vaccines, the AP reported. The declaration of a global emergency means the monkeypox outbreak is an extreme event that could spread to more countries and requires a coordinated global response. WHO has previously declared emergencies for public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the 2016 Zika virus in Latin America and ongoing efforts to eradicate polio. Last month, a WHO expert committee said the worldwide monkeypox outbreak was not yet an international emergency, but the committee met this week to reassess the situation. More than 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 74 countries since about May, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To date, deaths from monkeypox have been reported only in Africa, where a more dangerous version of the virus is spreading, mostly in Nigeria and the Congo.