BBC OS Conversations: What's it like to have mpox

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 7 September 2024

⏱️ 23 minutes

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Summary

Mpox causes a headache, fever and a blistering rash all over the body. There have been more than 1,200 cases in parts of Central and West Africa since the start of this year. The milder version is now circulating in other parts of the world but the much stronger, possibly deadlier strain, called Clade 1b is also on the rise. A few weeks ago, the World Health Organisation announced that mpox constituted a public health emergency of international concern after an upsurge of cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other countries in Africa. Host Luke Jones brings together survivors from the UK and Nigeria to share their experiences. “I thought that I was dying,” said Harun in London. “Nobody knew what it was and I was getting worse every day. I remember looking at a bottle of water and I started crying because I wasn’t able to drink.” We also hear from three doctors about some of the challenges they face - from a mistrust in medical professionals, to a belief that mpox is not caused by a virus and so doesn’t require hospital treatment. “An elderly man started developing symptoms but felt his symptoms were not due to any pathogen but due to a spiritual attack,” said Dr Dimie Ogoina, from the Niger Delta Teaching hospital. A co-production between Boffin Media and the BBC OS team. (Photo: Elisabeth Furaha applies medication on the skin of her child Sagesse Hakizimana who is under treatment for Mpox, near Goma in North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo August 19, 2024. Credit: Arlette Bashizi/File Photo/Reuters)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello I'm Luke Jones and welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service.
0:03.3	In BBC Earth's conversations, we bring people together to share their experiences.
0:08.0	This time we hear from people around the world talking about the virus
0:15.0	the virus empox. It's a virus that causes headaches, fever and a blistering rash all over the body.
0:20.0	In some cases it can be fatal and as concerns grow in parts of Africa about the spread of a new strain of the disease
0:27.0	We'll hear from survivors and doctors on some of the cultural challenges in getting people to hospital
0:32.4	This man is an elderly man that cultural challenges in getting people to hospital.
0:32.6	This man is an elderly man that
0:34.8	said he developing symptoms but felt a symptoms were not due to any
0:38.3	pathogen but due to a spiritual attack and it does resolve that he had to go to a church to get deliverance.
0:44.8	Since the start of the year there have been more than 1200 cases of
0:51.2	Empox or Monkey Parks in parts of Central and West Africa.
0:55.1	The milder version is now circulating in other parts of the world, but the much stronger,
0:59.1	possibly deadlier strain called clade 1B is on the rise.
1:03.4	Recently Thailand confirmed its first case of the new aggressive strain, the first case of its
1:07.9	kind in Asia and the second outside Africa.
1:10.9	A few weeks ago the World Health Organization announced that
1:13.2	MPOC constituted a public health emergency of international concern
1:17.6	after an increasing number of cases were reported in the Democratic Republic of
1:21.9	Congo or DRC and many other East African countries.
1:26.0	Here's a message we received from a woman who contracted the disease in DRC.
1:30.0	My name is Madua. I knew I was infected when things started appearing on my body.
	...

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