the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Sep 30, 2024
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Mpox virus, already an epidemic in Africa, a “public health emergency of international concern” on August 14.
A more contagious variant has been circulating for about a year in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This country—where workers mine rare earth elements that make cell phones and electric cars possible—has seen 629 deaths so far. Almost 60% of cases have been in children. Pregnant women are reporting miscarriages.
The new strain is called Clade 1b. It can spread through simple skin contact. The variant has now spread to nearby African countries where it had never been before.
A vaccine has been produced since an earlier global outbreak in 2022. Most of the vaccines were bought up by the wealthy countries. To stop the spread, Africa needs 10 million doses. Up until now, the entire continent has only had 200,000 doses.
Since the emergency declaration, the donation of a few hundred thousand doses was quickly pledged by wealthy countries. This is a drop in the bucket compared to what is needed. And the actual delivery of vaccines has been less than that.
Vaccines are being produced by two companies—Bavarian Nordic of Denmark and KM Biologics of Japan. Plenty of vaccines exist for sale, but the countries that need them the most, cannot afford to buy them.
The capitalist system prevents humanity from effectively combating epidemics, which know no borders.