Insight and opinion from The National’s editorial leadership
September 03, 2024
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Health Minister, Samuel-Roger Kamba, was cautiously optimistic on August 19, when he told his fellow citizens they could expect a much-needed shipment of vaccines against the mpox virus to arrive the following week. But a fortnight later, not a single shot has landed in the DRC.
The reason is not a lack of urgency on the part of Dr Kamba and his government – a novel strain of the virus, known as Clade 1b, has ravaged the country all year. Nor is it a lack of supplies – mpox vaccines exist and have already been used to quell previous outbreaks in rich countries.
Instead, the problem appears to be a combination of bureaucracy and indifference. The DRC has been waiting for the World Health Organisation either to approve the available vaccines or issue an emergency licence that would enable use without such approval. One of these is necessary for organisations like Unicef and Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, to buy and distribute immunisations in developing countries.
Mpox has plagued the world since the 1970s. The last global outbreak began just as the Covid-19 pandemic was receding. Since then, strains of the virus have reached at least 119 countries.
But the DRC has been hit especially hard. Mpox is considered endemic there. Clade 1b has infected at least 15,000 Congolese this year, and killed at least 550. Most of the dead are children, including some who succumbed not to the virus itself, but to starvation because of painful lesions in their mouths and throats preventing them from eating.
Authorities in Kinshasa first requested vaccines from the World Health Organisation and the international community two years ago, when US and EU regulators approved a vaccine developed by Danish company Bavarian Nordic and marketed under the name Jynneos to prevent the spread of mpox among their populations.
Kinshasa first requested vaccines from the World Health Organisation and the international community 2 years ago
Nonetheless, poorer nations like the DRC rely on approval from the WHO – not the US Food and Drug Administration or the European Medicines Agency. Bavarian Nordic submitted its research to the WHO in May of last year, but the WHO only began the process of formally considering that research in mid-August, when it declared mpox a “public health emergency of international concern” following Clade 1b’s spread to the DRC’s neighbours.
Part of the reason for the delay is the WHO’s onerous expectations for research data. The FDA and EMA set a relatively low bar for approval – Jynneos was given the green light without human trials – because of the fears around mpox at the time. The WHO has been far more cautious – too cautious, critics say.
Some experts, however, say the hesitation is warranted. No one knows how effective Jynneos and other vaccine candidates would be against the Clade 1b variant; the outbreaks in the West dealt with a different strain. Data released last month by the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was not promising.
But a lack of attention and funding has been a major issue, too. The urgency that enabled 1.2 million Jynneos doses to be distributed in the US during the last outbreak quickly waned when the virus receded to Africa. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says that of the $245 million it has requested to fight mpox, only 10 per cent has been funded.
Under growing pressure, the WHO has eased its rules to allow partners to purchase vaccines in advance of any approval. As a result, the organisation said on Friday that a shipment of 230,000 mpox vaccines will arrive in the DRC sometime this week, donated by the European Commission and Bavarian Nordic. But that is just a first step; the road from securing a quarter of a million vaccines to getting millions more delivered in the field is very long. Mpox is a relatively slow-spreading virus, but so far it is outpacing our will to fight it.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
