DESPITE BEING the epicenter of the mpox outbreak that has infected over 103,000 people across 122 countries since January 2022, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) received its first batch of vaccines on September 5— nearly two years after the US and European nations began stockpiling them following their own cases.
So far, DRC has received 99,000 doses from the EU, with another 110,000 doses expected soon. However, these figures fall far short of the 3 million doses officials estimate are needed to bring the outbreak under control (see "The politics and economics of mpox', p44-45). Nigeria, the only other African country to secure vaccines, has managed to receive just 10,000 doses.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared mpox a public health emergency twice in the past three years-first between July 2022 and May 2023, due to its rapid spread outside Africa, and again on August 14, 2024, following a surge in cases across Africa, largely driven by mutations in the virus.
The mpox virus is categorised into two main clades: I, endemic to Central Africa, and II, which was previously known as the West African clade. Both have two subclades a and b. Clade IIb drove the 2022 global outbreak. The current spike in cases, however, is largely attributed to the more virulent clade Ib, which spreads through close contact and contaminated surfaces.
この記事は Down To Earth の September 16, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Down To Earth の September 16, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
In leading role again
MOVIES AND WEB SERIES ARE ONCE AGAIN BEING SET IN RUSTIC BACKGROUNDS, INDICATING A RECONNECT BETWEEN CINEMA AND THE COUNTRYSIDE
One Nation One Subscription comes at a huge cost
As top US universities scrap big deals with top scientific publishers, India’s ONOS scheme seems flawed and outdated
Return of Rambhog
Bid to revive and sell the aromatic indigenous paddy variety has led to substantial profits for farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Terai region
Scarred by mining
Natural springs of Kashmir drying up due to illegal riverbed mining
Human-to-human spread a mutation away
CANADA IN mid-November confirmed its first human case of avian influenza, with a teenager in the British Columbia being hospitalised after contracting the H5N1 virus that causes the disease. The patient developed a severe form of the disease, also called bird flu, and had respiratory issues. There was no known cause of transmission.
True rehabilitation
Residents of Madhya Pradesh's Kakdi village take relocation as an opportunity to undertake afforestation, develop sustainable practices
INESCAPABLE THREAT
Chemical pollution is the most underrated and underreported risk of the 21st century that threatens all species and regions
THAT NIGHT, 40 YEARS AGO
Bhopal gas disaster is a tragedy that people continue to face
A JOKE, INDEED
A CONFERENCE OF IRRESPONSIBLE PARTIES THAT CREATED AN OPTICAL ILLUSION TO THE REALITY OF A NEW CLIMATE
THINGS FALL APART
THE WORLD HAS MADE PROGRESS IN MITIGATING EMISSIONS AND ADAPTING TO CLIMATE IMPACTS. BUT THE PROGRESS REMAINS GROSSLY INADEQUATE
