Africa aims to avert an mpox pandemic.

MONKEYPOX; INTELLECTUAL property; MONKEYPOX vaccines; SMALLPOX vaccines; AIDS treatment

The article discusses the emergence of a new variant of the mpox virus in Africa and the potential for it to become a global pandemic. The variant, known as clade Ib mpox, is highly transmissible and has spread beyond same-sex transmission pathways. Cases have been reported in several countries, including Sweden, Thailand, and Pakistan. Africa is particularly vulnerable to mpox outbreaks due to the lack of available vaccines and the high percentage of the population under 40 years old. The main obstacles to vaccine availability in Africa include high cost, intellectual property protection, and a lack of global solidarity mechanisms. Efforts are being made to provide vaccines to Africa through donations and funding from various countries and organizations. In addition to vaccines, scaling up public health measures and conducting further research are crucial in preventing the spread of mpox. The article emphasizes that mpox is not just an African problem, but a global problem that requires immediate action. [Extracted from the article]

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