Another Deadly Epidemic Looms, 524 Die, As World Health Organization Declares Global Emergency
Another deadly epidemic, known as mpox is spreading fast, especially in Africa, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring global health emergency on it.
The mpox, which was formerly called monkeypox, is spreading in African countries and had killed 524 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
WHO warned that the threat of the epidemic this time is deadlier, adding that since the beginning of this year, the Democratic Republic of Congo alone has reported more than 14,000 mpox cases and 524 deaths.
It said that the people who are most at risk are women and children under 15.
The WHO.’s Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said today, August 14, that the detection and rapid spread of a new clade of mpox in eastern D.R.C and in neighboring countrie had not previously reported mpox, and that the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying.
WHO said that this is the second time in three years that it has designated an mpox epidemic as a global emergency.
It previously did so in July 2022. That outbreak went on to affect nearly 100,000 people, primarily gay and bisexual men, in 116 countries, and killed about 200 people.
The outbreak this time
has spread through 13 countries in Africa, including a few that had never reported mpox cases before.
Yesterday, August 13, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared a “public health emergency of continental security,” the first time the organization has taken that step since the African Union granted it the power to do so last year.
The Executive Director for preparedness and response at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a nonprofit that finances vaccine development, Dr. Nicole Lurie said: “It’s in the interests of the countries of the continent and of the world to get our arms around this and stop transmission as soon as we can.”
Mpox symptoms may start three to 17 days after one is exposed to it. The time between when one is exposed and when one has the symptoms is called the incubation period.
Mpox symptoms last two to four weeks and may include: Fever, Skin rash, Swollen lymph nodes, Headache, Muscle aches and backaches
About one to four days after one begins having a fever, a skin rash starts.
The mpox rash often first appears on the face, hands or feet and then spreads to other parts of the body. But in cases linked to the outbreak that started in 2022, the rash often started in the genital area, mouth, or throat. The mpox rash goes through many stages. Flat spots turn into blisters. Then the blisters fill with pus, scab over and fall off over a period of two to four weeks.
One can spread mpox while one has symptoms and so from when the symptoms start until the rash and scabs heal, one is advised to see healthcare professional right away if you have a new rash or any mpox symptoms, even if you don’t know anyone with mpox.
How does the mpox virus spread?
The mpox virus causes mpox. The virus spreads through close contact with an infected animal or person. Or it can spread when a person handles materials such as blankets that have been in contact with someone who has mpox.
The mpox virus spreads from person to person through:
Direct contact with rashes, scabs or body fluids of a person with mpox.
Extended close contact (more than four hours) with respiratory droplets from an infected person. This includes sexual contact.
Clothes, sheets, blankets or other materials that have been in contact with rashes or body fluids of an infected person.
An infected pregnant person can spread the mpox virus to a fetus.
Mpox spreads from an animal to a person through:
Animal bites or scratches.
Wild game that is cooked for food.
Products, such as skins or furs, made of infected animals.
Direct contact with body fluids or rashes of animals with mpox.
What can I do to prevent becoming infected with or spreading the mpox virus?
Take these steps to prevent infection with or the spread of the mpox virus:
Avoid close contact with people who have a rash that looks like mpox.
Avoid handling clothes, sheets, blankets or other materials that have been in contact with an infected animal or person.
Isolate people who have mpox from healthy people.
Wash your hands well with soap and water after any contact with an infected person or animal. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Avoid animals that may carry the virus.
Some smallpox vaccines can prevent mpox, including the ACAM2000 and Jynneos vaccines. These vaccines can be used to prevent mpox because smallpox and mpox are caused by related viruses.
Healthcare professionals may suggest that people who have been exposed to mpox get vaccinated. Some people who are at risk of exposure to the virus in their work, such as lab workers, may get vaccinated too.
The CDC doesn’t recommend that everyone get vaccinated against mpox at this time.
What is the treatment for mpox?
Treatment for most people with mpox is aimed at relieving symptoms. Care may include managing skin damage from the mpox rash, drinking enough liquids to help keep stool soft, and pain management.
If you have mpox, isolate at home in a separate room from family and pets until your rash and scabs heal.
There is no specific treatment approved for mpox. Healthcare professionals may treat mpox with some antiviral drugs used to treat smallpox, such as tecovirimat (TPOXX) or brincidofovir (Tembexa).
For those unlikely to respond to the vaccine, a healthcare professional may offer vaccinia immune globulin. This has antibodies from people who have been given the smallpox vaccine.
What are the complications of mpox?
Mpox complications can include:
Severe scars on the face, arm and legs.
Blindness.
Other infections.
Death, in rare cases.
The type of mpox virus spreading in the 2022 outbreak, called Clade II, rarely leads to death.
Remember that mpox is rare in the U.S. and the mpox virus doesn’t spread easily between people without close contact. But if you have a new rash or any symptoms of mpox, contact your healthcare professional.
That Civilian Coup In The North, And Federation Account, By Yushau Shuaib
The terrifying videos were not from Hollywood movies but scenes from Northern Nigeria during the #EndBadGovernance protest. The so-called protesters invaded a Government House, vandalised public facilities, looted an ICT training centre, carted away a Police station signpost, invaded banks, destroyed a mosque, hijacked a Personnel Armour Carrier, flew foreign flags, sought foreign intervention, and chanted “Yara Me Kuke so; Wiwi Mukeso!” in Hausa. The latter means, “Children, what do you want? Cannabis (marijuana) is what we want!”
The ‘protest’ in the North is akin to a coup targeted at Arewa leaders. As a Northerner, I feel ashamed to be represented by these scenes displayed by our children and youths. However, this is not the first time such incidents have occurred in the region. The only difference this last time was that there were no reported mass killings, unlike similar past incidents.
In my article, “Killing in the Name of the Devil”, written after a similar act of riotous protest in Maiduguri, Borno State, in 2006, I pointed out that the marauders’ acts of violence were not in the name of the Almighty God or any just cause, but they were enacted in the name of the devil, and as possibly influenced by undesirable godfathers, selfish elites, drug addiction, illiteracy, and endemic poverty. Today, Borno State is regarded as the epicentre of terrorism in Nigeria.
Rather than protesting injustice and the lackadaisical attitudes of their leaders, the people in the North often condone the excesses of their elites. When the massacre of the Shi’ites, including pregnant women and kids, by soldiers, occurred in Kaduna in December 2015, many young miscreants sought recourse in looting the corpses on the streets and the assets of the victims. Yet, the Arewa elite and the youths kept silent, without any protest, because the then Nigerian President and principal security chiefs were Northerners. Kaduna today hosts the dens of kidnapping kingpins and is the location of recurrent ethnic flares of violence.
The people never protested against terrorism in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, or the farmer-herder conflicts in the North-Central. They never protested over the endemic corruption of the political leaders, especially governors, who receive billions of naira from the Federation Account and utilise a chunk of these to address the relentless insecurity in the region through the so-called security votes.
I often wonder about the correlation between security challenges and security votes as they grow together like the Siamese twins. Insecurity has become a booming business in Arewa for the perpetrators and the humanitarian groups and actors, with international bodies and Non-Governmental Organisations competing for space to exhibit their concerns as they concentrate substantial financial resources on programmes in those areas.
Yet, the activities of undesirable elements, including riotous protesters, have deterred local entrepreneurs from investing in the region for fear of disruption and the destruction of their businesses. Even the wealthiest Northerners would instead invest elsewhere than in the region.
Consequently, there is a widening gap between the Northern and Southern states regarding development. For instance, in the last Annual State Viability Index (ASVI) produced by Economic Confidential, Lagos generated more revenue than all the 16 Northern states combined in 2022, with its internally generated revenue (IGR) of N651 billion constituting 176 per cent of its receipt from the Federation Account of N370 billion. Even a neighbouring state, Ogun, generated an IGR of N120 billion, 106 per cent of its federal allocation of N113 billion.
Most states in the North, especially where the so-called hunger protesters were calling for a coup and foreign interventions in domestic affairs, hardly generate 20% of what they collect from the Federal Government as internally generated revenue. For instance, Kano, which received N226bn from the Federation Account in 2022, generated N42.5bn internally, translating to 18.7 per cent of the Manna from Abuja. Similarly, Katsina, the home state of the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari, only made an IGR of N13bn after it collected N165bn from the Federation Account, which translates to less than 8 per cent of the free money from the central government.
As a panellist at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) discussion on matters of Local Voices, I underscored the pivotal role of the media and citizens in upholding accountability among state governors and local government authorities concerning the substantial resources they receive monthly from the central government.
With references to Northern states, I disclosed how billions of naira are allocated to each state while their local governments (LGs) also receive hundreds of millions of naira in monthly disbursements from Abuja. I cited the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) distributions in June 2024 as example: Borno State received N10.8 billion, while its 27 LGs shared an additional N8.7 billion; Kaduna State collected N12 billion, while its 23 LGs received N9 billion; Kano State was given N15.4 billion, whilst its 44 LGs received N15.3 billion; and Katsina State got N11.4 billion, whereas its 34 LGs shared N11 billion among themselves.
Each state’s local government received over N300 million monthly, some exceeding N400 million. Given these substantial monthly allocations, the protesters and rioters must be aware of the humongous releases to their respective states.
With the statutory financial interventions, it is pathetic that the Arewa region still accounts for high poverty rates (over 70% of the population living below the poverty line), High unemployment and underemployment among youth, Low Human Development Index (HDI), Low literacy and education levels, especially among girls and high food insecurity, particularly in conflict-affected areas.
Despite being richly endowed with natural resources, the region fails to capitalise on its various potentials. With vast agricultural land and livestock, the North can provide food security for the nation. Its hydroelectric power and solar energy potentials can drive industrialisation. Its forests and mineral resources offer significant tourism opportunities to attract foreign investment. However, some communities remain ungoverned and vulnerable to non-state actors because our leadership prioritizes political patronage over empowering the youth with modern skills.
We must acknowledge some notable peaceful protesters, like a young lady whose heart-wrenching testimony in a video at the hunger protest moved me deeply. Severely hungry, sick, and unable to afford food or medication, she spoke out for many suffering in silence while appealing to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to hear their voices and act.
Despite efforts by NSA Nuhu Ribadu, CDS Gen. Chris Musa, Information Minister Idris Malagi, and others to contain the recent hunger protest, there are concerns that future agitations may be spontaneous and unpredictable, catching authorities off guard.
Northern leaders must, therefore, be advised to address insecurity, harness regional resources for economic growth and reduce overdependence on oil revenue. Rampant oil thefts and volatility in other mineral-producing regions highlight the need for proactive measures to ensure stability.
What would happen if the Federation Account allocations to states were stopped or a conflict broke out that prevented the extraction and production of oil in the country?
Yushau Shuaib is the author of “Award-Winning Crisis Communication Strategies.”
www.YAShuaib.com yashuaib@yashuaib.com