News in Brief -2024-09-14

WHO grants first mpox vaccine approval to ramp up response to disease in Africa

GENEVA, Sept 13: The World Health Organization said Friday it has granted its first authorization for use of a vaccine against mpox in adults, calling it an important step toward fighting the disease in Africa and beyond. The pre-qualification of the vaccine by Bavarian Nordic A/S means that donors like GAVI the Vaccine Alliance and UNICEF can buy it. But supplies are limited because there's only a single manufacturer. — AP

Rohingya refugees in India on hunger strike over 'prolonged' detention

GUWAHATI (India), Sept 13: More than 100 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar including women and children have been on hunger strike since Monday to protest at their indefinite detention at a camp in northeastern India, authorities told Reuters. More than one million Rohingya refugees fled to countries including Bangladesh and India after a military-led crackdown in Myanmar in 2017. They have little hope of returning home, where they are largely denied citizenship and basic rights. — Reuters

Hundreds of thousands in Cuba

without water

HAVANA, Sept 13: Water shortages in Cuba are increasingly flaring tempers, including in capital Havana, as problems mount for hundreds of thousands of residents already ragged from shortfalls in food, fuel and electricity. Upwards of 600,000 people - more than 1 in 20 on the Caribbean island of 10 million citizens - are suffering from water supply issues. — Reuters