WHO and partners meet on mpox, hoping to avoid COVID failures on fair medical access [Video]

The World Health Organization was due to host an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss ways to ensure fair global access to tests, treatments and vaccines for mpox, a leading official said, as the viral infection spreads in parts of Africa and beyond.

The meeting would be attended by members of an alliance of health experts who oversaw the global response to COVID-19 and include global health agencies such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

They will discuss how to ensure that failures during the COVID pandemic over ensuring equal access to medical treatments, tests and vaccines are not repeated with the mpox outbreak, Ayoade Alakija, chair of the meeting and a WHO special envoy, said.

The UN health agency declared a global health emergency for mpox on Wednesday after a huge outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo spread into nearby countries. On Thursday, …