Better be prepared against the pox

Hospitals across the country have upped their preparedness to handle suspected cases of mpox. This is after WHO classified the outbreak of the infectious viral disease in Africa as a public health emergency of international concern last week. A suspected case of mpox was admitted at Aiims last week. Globally, there have been three outbreaks so far. The first is mainly in the west and north of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where mpox has been endemic for more than a decade. The second, a new branch of the virus, is in countries neighbouring DRC and beyond, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. The third is the strain that will spread to Europe and beyond in 2024.

WHO's Europe regional director Hans Kluge, however, told reporters last week that mpox is 'not the new Covid' and that 'together we could - and must - tackle mpox'. Yet, outbreaks spotlight worrying trends - the continued neglect of Africa and failure to act in a manner commensurate to the danger of repeated outbreaks of zoonotic diseases. If adequate supplies of the mpox vaccine had been delivered to DRC, where the disease is endemic, the outbreak could have been contained. Africa has been left behind in terms of vaccines and cures. This neglect is unacceptable, especially at a time when faith in multilateralism is waning and threat of global fragmentation is high. It's imperative for all countries, particularly those with large and growing populations, to implement measures that reduce the risk of zoonotic outbreaks.

As the 'world's pharmacy', India can tackle the pharma challenge. However, as a biodiversity hotspot with a vast population and growing economy, India must safeguard its natural resources to prevent the spread or outbreak of zoonotic diseases.