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Mpox surge in West Africa: Unmet maternal health needs

Anne Baber Wallis(1),


(1) Editor, African Journal of Reproductive Health; University of Louisville, School of Public Health and Information Sciences, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Louisville, KY USA
Corresponding Author

Abstract


In the first half of 2025, mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) cases in West Africa appear to have multiplied, straining already-fragile health systems, diverting resources, and raising questions about maternal health implications. In 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) deemed mpox infections a public health emergency of international concern.1 With global donor funds at a low due to the withdrawal of the US from the World Health Organization (WHO), a scratched US Agency for International Development (USAID), and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cutbacks, it is an inopportune time for new outbreaks.

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