HEALTH AUTHORITIES IN Africa say they are treating the expanding monkeypox outbreak there as an emergency, and are calling on rich countries to share the world’s limited supply of vaccines in an effort to avoid the glaring equity problems seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Monkeypox has been sickening people in parts of central and west Africa for decades, but the lack of laboratory diagnosis and weak surveillance means many cases are going undetected across the continent.

Countries in Africa have reported more than 1,800 suspected cases so far this year including more than 70 deaths, but only 109 have been lab-confirmed.

“This particular outbreak for us means an emergency,” said Ahmed Ogwell, the acting director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control.

“We want to be able to address monkeypox as an emergency now so that it does not cause more pain and suffering,” he said.

Africa