Mpox: A Global Health Threat Ironically Ignored

The mpox outbreak in Africa highlights the neglect of infectious diseases in poor, developing regions. Despite significant advances in containment due to increased funding post-2022, global inequity in resources remains. The resurgence of mpox in Africa, particularly with the more virulent clade I strain, underscores the necessity for international cooperation and investment.

The continued mpox outbreak in Africa underscores a longstanding issue in global health: the neglect of infectious diseases in marginalized regions. Historically overlooked, diseases like mpox have been perceived as regional problems until they posed a threat to developed countries.

Initially discovered in monkeys in 1958 and identified in humans in 1970, mpox had largely been forgotten outside tropical Africa. This changed dramatically in 2022, when a massive global outbreak caught the scientific community by surprise, leading to an unprecedented surge in research and funding. Despite these efforts, the disease remains a significant threat, especially in Africa.

The World Health Organization has declared the latest upsurge in central Africa a public health emergency of international concern. As the virus's more virulent clade I spreads rapidly, the urgent need for equitable access to diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines is clearer than ever. An African-led research consortium could play a crucial role in addressing this ongoing crisis.