UN Agency To Hold Meeting To Access Zika Risk On Rio De Janeiro Olympic Games This Month

Considering the Zika virus threat on Brazil, the World Health Organisation's (WHO) committee is going to hold an emergency meeting in the coming weeks to decide on whether or not to proceed with the Rio De Janeiro Summer Olympics 2016 as planned.

The Olympic Games is scheduled to be held in Rio De Janeiro beginning August 5.

 "The Emergency Committee meeting will consider the situation in Brazil, including the question of the Olympics," Nyka Alexander, WHO spokeswoman, told Reuters, according to The Telegraph.

"It is not within our mandate" to make decisions on holding the Olympic Games, Ms Alexander said.

Last month, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen requested WHO's Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan to check the situation and decide on whether to delay or postpone the Rio games.

In a letter released by Shaheen on Friday, Chan said that the organization has already sent senior scientists to Brazil four times to examine the Zika risk to approximately 500,000 athletes and visitors who are expected to attend the Rio De Janeiro Olympics.

"Given the current level of international concern, I have decided to ask members of the Zika Emergency Committee to examine the risks of holding the Olympic Summer Games as currently scheduled," Chan noted, reported CBS8.

The WHO spokeswoman said the date for the next emergency committee meeting on Zika has still not yet been decided, but that it would be held this month.

Among the 60 nations that have reported Zika outbreaks, Brazil has been the hardest-hit reporting almost 1,500 cases of brain-damaged babies linked to the virus. WHO declared the Zika epidemic to be a global emergency in February.

Last month, a team of 150 international doctors, scientists and researchers signed an open letter asking WHO to move or delay the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro due to the Zika virus threat.

The letter argued that holding the Games in Rio, which is the second most Zika affected city in Brazil, would be "irresponsible" and "unethical."

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