New York state and san francisco have both declared monkey pox a public health emergency. Since the outbreak began, there have been around 20 thousand cases of monkey pox globaly. About 70 % of them are in europe, and most of the remaining cases are in america. 99% of infections are in men who have sex with men.
As the first fatal cases outside Africa are reported, we investigate the response to the disease, and the parallels with the early days of HIV. Nuclear waste has been stockpiled in supposedly temporary pools for decades; our correspondent visits the first place it is being permanently entombed. And where education is failing even amid encouraging enrolment numbers.
For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer