The Americas had more than 64,000 Mpox infections between July 2022 and July 2024 yet the region is being ignored!
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Sep 15, 2024 3 days, 12 hours, 59 minutes ago
Mpox News: The current global monkeypox (Mpox) crisis reveals significant gaps in how international health organizations, like the World Health Organization (WHO), are addressing the outbreak, especially in regions like the Americas. Despite more than 64,000 Mpox infections reported between July 2022 and July 2024 in the Americas alone, this region is seemingly being overlooked. The lack of proper healthcare infrastructure, limited testing facilities, and inadequate access to vaccines and treatments raise concerns that the Americas might be the hidden epicenter of the next global Mpox pandemic. This
Mpox News report delves into the details of the growing Mpox crisis in both the Americas and even Europe, uncovering key study findings and highlighting the urgency for global attention.
Mpox-News-The-Americas-had-more-than-64000-Mpox-infections-yet-the-region-is-being-ignored
The Alarming Situation in the Americas
From July 2022 to July 2024, the Americas recorded over 64,000 Mpox cases, with countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Peru bearing the brunt of the crisis.
While most cases were linked to Clade II of the virus, there were instances of Clade I infections that went largely unnoticed by international media and health authorities.
Tragically, it is speculated that approximately 1,180 people in the Americas died from Mpox during this period, a death toll surpassing that of Africa, yet these figures were never properly compiled or emphasized.
The WHO's own Mpox report revealed that the Americas had the highest number of infections globally.
https://worldhealthorg.shinyapps.io/mpx_global/#3_Global_situation_update
However, no significant efforts have been made by international bodies to prioritize aid or provide vaccines to the affected countries in this region. By July 2024, the WHO reported only 345 confirmed new Mpox infections in the Americas, but these numbers could be misleading. Many countries in the region fail to submit timely reports, and with minimal testing capabilities across large swathes of the Americas, the actual number of infections could be much higher.
Additionally, over 80% of the countries in the Americas do not conduct genomic sequencing for Mpox, meaning there is little understanding of how the virus is evolving or mutating within the region.
The absence of aid, vaccines, or international support exacerbates the situation, making it clear that the Americas are facing a crisis that is being largely ignored.
Strangely the WHO is only focused on the African region and is only seeking funding to help the African region where corruption is rampant and where a large proportion of the populations are Muslims that are forever reproducing despite poverty.
Many Western Nations like Canada, United States, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, France, Australia are sending aid, vaccines and funds to Africa while comp
letely ignoring the Americas region.
Europe’s Battle with Mpox
Europe, too, has seen significant Mpox activity since 2022. Following the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, many European countries were quick to monitor Mpox outbreaks. By the end of July 2024, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported over 22,000 cases of Mpox across Europe, resulting in more than 200 deaths.
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/communicable-disease-threats-report-7-13-september-2024-week-37
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/Communicable_disease_threats_report_7_13_September_2024_week_37.pdf
The WHO identified Spain as having the highest number of Mpox cases in Europe, with 8,104 cases recorded since July 2022.
In the week ending 6
th of September 2024, there has been 138 new Mpox infections in Europe with Spain reporting the highest amounts with 43 infections. As all of these are belonging to the clade 2 variants, there has been no media coverage of these cases! To date, Spain has recorded 352 new Mpox cases for 2024.
Contrary to the misconception that Mpox is primarily an African disease, the statistics tell a different story. The Americas and Europe have recorded more cases than Africa, which had about 5,000 cases during the same period.
As of July 2024, the top 10 countries most affected by Mpox globally were the United States, Brazil, Spain, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, among others.
The emergence of Clade I cases outside of Africa, including one in Sweden, suggests that vigilance is still required.
Global Health’s Missed Opportunity
Despite the alarming number of Mpox cases in both the Americas and Europe, global health organizations have yet to adequately address these regions' needs. While Africa has long been considered the epicenter of Mpox, the recent outbreaks in other regions show that the virus knows no borders. The fact that the Americas have been disproportionately affected yet receive little attention is cause for concern. Moreover, the lack of genomic sequencing in the Americas further complicates efforts to track the virus's evolution and spread, leaving populations vulnerable to future outbreaks.
The absence of coordinated international efforts, such as distributing vaccines and medical aid to regions in need, is a missed opportunity to prevent the situation from escalating into a full-blown pandemic. Without immediate action, the virus could mutate further, creating a new, more dangerous global threat.
Conclusion
The ongoing Mpox crisis in the Americas and Europe highlights the global community’s failure to adequately address emerging pandemics. With more than 64,000 cases in the Americas and 27,000 in Europe, it's clear that these regions are facing a health crisis that demands urgent attention. The lack of testing, genomic sequencing, and vaccines makes it challenging to contain the spread and understand the virus's evolution. As the world navigates the post-COVID-19 landscape, it is imperative that we learn from past mistakes and address future pandemics with the seriousness they deserve.
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https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/morocco-reports-first-mpox-case-in-2024-becomes-15th-african-country-to-confirm-mpox-infection
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/africa-s-cdc-reports-107-new-mpox-monkeypox-deaths-and-3160-new-infections-in-the-last-7-days
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/monkeypox
