How the world sleepwalked into the global mpox emergency

Africa is in dire need of mpox vaccines. — AP

A MUTATED form of mpox has been circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo for months. Now the response to what has become a global health emergency faces a key obstacle: The country still doesn’t have a single vaccine.

The absence of shots and challenges in understanding the spread of the disease in the central African country underscore how hold-ups on the ground, a lack of international coordination and funding problems have hampered a swift response.