Caught between violence: Mpox virus and the perils of neglect in Africa

As the world recovers from the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, countries in Africa are grappling with yet another worrisome challenge: the ongoing outbreaks of the Mpox virus (formerly known as monkeypox). The Mpox virus was first discovered in 1958 among laboratory monkeys in Denmark 1; however, it was not until 1970 that the first case in humans was reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Since then, the Mpox virus has been endemic in most parts of East, Central and West Africa.