Why mpox in Africa was ignored for too long and children are dying as a result

Why mpox in Africa was ignored for too long and children are dying as a result

An epidemic of mpox in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, is spreading quickly, particularly among young children. Mpox is a serious, at times fatal, virus – and the world knows how to prevent it. There are effective vaccines stockpiled in many western countries. Yet, after an earlier global epidemic in 2022 was largely brought under control in Europe and North America, the ongoing battle to protect people in Africa from mpox was ignored.


In this episode we ask a virologist and a paediatrician why Africa's mpox crisis was so neglected and what needs to happen now to save lives, particularly children's.


Featuring Nadia Adjoa Sam-Agudu, professor of paediatric infectious diseases at the University of Minnesota in the US and Wolfgang Preiser, head of the division of medical virology at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, with an introduction from Nadine Dreyer, health and medicine editor at The Conversation Africa.


This episode was written and produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware, with assistance from Katie Flood and sound design by Michelle Macklem. Our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits for this episode are available. Sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.


If you like the show, please consider donating to The Conversation, which is an independent, not-for-profit news organisation. And please do rate and review the show wherever you listen.


Further reading:


Jaksot(275)

Trump v Leo: the war of words over a just war

Trump v Leo: the war of words over a just war

After Donald Trump took to social media to lambast Pope Leo's criticism of the Iran war, the pontiff told journalists "I'm not afraid of the Trump administration". Part of the war of words between Tru...

30 Huhti 27min

Israel’s history shapes how it wages war

Israel’s history shapes how it wages war

In around ten minutes on April 8, the Israeli military hit more than 100 targets across Lebanon. Israel called the attack Operation Eternal Darkness and said it struck Hezbollah command and control ce...

23 Huhti 29min

How former insider Péter Magyar ousted Hungary’s Viktor Orbán

How former insider Péter Magyar ousted Hungary’s Viktor Orbán

For 16 years, Viktor Orbán built an illiberal democracy in Hungary. Orbán and his Fidesz party managed to take control of many of Hungary's levers of power, from the judiciary to state-owned media, an...

16 Huhti 31min

The pseudoscientific scale looksmaxxers use to rate each other

The pseudoscientific scale looksmaxxers use to rate each other

If you have teenagers in your life, they’ll probably have heard of the PSL scale. Or at least the language associated with it. Chad. Stacy. Normie. Subhuman.The PSL scale is a pseudoscientific attract...

9 Huhti 30min

The Making of One Nation: the unlikely rise of Australia’s Pauline Hanson

The Making of One Nation: the unlikely rise of Australia’s Pauline Hanson

From a fish and chip shop in regional Queensland to the heart of Australian politics: this is the unlikely story of One Nation, Australia's most controversial minor party.For thirty years, One Nation ...

2 Huhti 26min

Artemis II: NASA’s long road back to the Moon

Artemis II: NASA’s long road back to the Moon

Final preparations are underway for NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed mission around the Moon for more than 50 years. Four astronauts, three men and one woman, will spend 10 days aboard the ...

26 Maalis 27min

How the US cloned Iran's drones

How the US cloned Iran's drones

The day after the US began bombing Iran, US Central Command confirmed it had used a new, cheap type of kamikaze drone called a Lucas for the first time in a combat operation. These drones were made in...

19 Maalis 28min

Mystery covid methane spike solved

Mystery covid methane spike solved

Six years ago, as countries around the world went into COVID lockdowns, the air got cleaner. Factories slowed down, roads emptied and aeroplanes were grounded. As people stayed home, the world burned ...

12 Maalis 23min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

uutiscast
aikalisa
politiikan-puskaradio
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
tervo-halme
rss-podme-livebox
aihe
rss-ulkopoditiikkaa
the-ulkopolitist
viisupodi
rss-pinnalla
otetaan-yhdet
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
radio-antro
rss-tasta-on-kyse-ivan-puopolo-verkkouutiset
rss-asiastudio
rss-uusi-juttu-mediastartupin-tarina
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
rss-kaikki-uusiksi