Mpox, myths and media manipulation
Pro-Kremlin disinformation tactics are again weaponising health fears in Africa, echoing deadly Cold War-era campaigns that once fuelled HIV/AIDS denial.
Conspiracy theories and disinformation about mpox mirror decades-old propaganda playbooks. We uncover why exposing disinformation that preys on health scares is necessary to combat the spread of deadly diseases alongside delivering vaccines.
A new form of mpox appears
Mpox is a virus related to smallpox, which is found mainly in Central and West Africa and spreads between animals and people. It causes a scabbing rash, fever, and swollen glands. Most people get mild symptoms, but it can be more serious for children, pregnant women, or anyone with a weak immune system.
The virus was first identified in 1958 in Copenhagen in monkeys that came from Singapore, which is why it was originally called monkeypox. The first human case was a baby in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
In September 2023, a new version of the mpox virus – known as clade 1b – appeared in a mining town called Kamituga in South Kivu Province (DRC). Although an earlier outbreak had been brought under control with vaccines and public health action, this new form spread quickly. By January 2024, it had spread nationwide, prompting the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare a global health emergency in August that same year.
Colonial-era scars fuel modern conspiracies
Many people in Africa are suspicious of public health authorities. Colonial-era medical abuse created lasting mistrust. Today, false information spreads even faster online. Some influential figures, such as Togolese activist and social media figure Egountchi Behanzin, wrongly suggest that mpox was made in European military labs to sterilise Congolese communities or to help pharmaceutical companies make money. These kinds of conspiracy theories echo old ones from the Cold War.
Back in 1983, the Soviet Union started a campaign known as Operation Denver or INFEKTION. The KGB planted a fake story in an Indian newspaper claiming that HIV/AIDS was created by the US military as a bioweapon. The lie spread through Soviet media and allied intelligence agencies to over 80 countries. It even influenced leaders like South African president Thabo Mbeki, who ignored science and refused to provide HIV treatment to patients – a decision that Harvard researchers say led to more than 330,000 deaths that could have been prevented.
As such, it remains one of the most damaging disinformation campaigns in history. Please, see also this New York Times investigation video.
Times and viruses change, tactics stay the same
Today, Russian-linked networks use similar tricks. They play on fears about pandemics and target diseases like mpox, Marburg, Ebola, and malaria – often fuelling racism, fear, and division. One rumour falsely linked mpox to LGBTIQ+ communities, causing more stigma and a risk of backlash. The francophone Behanzin, who has spread false claims about anti-malaria vaccines, was also alleged by The Wall Street Journal to have been paid by Russian entities.
By August 2024, Russian state media outlets like Sputnik and TASS were praising Russian vaccines and scientific efforts by the Russian Gamaleya Institute and Rospotrebnadzor, while casting doubt on Western aid.
The aim? To make it seem like the West, with the UN WHO as its supposed puppet, is behind virus outbreaks and dangerous vaccines while portraying Russia as Africa’s true ally.
Decades after Operation Denver sowed deadly doubt about HIV/AIDS, similar harm in Africa may once again be driven more by belief than biology. If disinformation is not addressed, vaccines alone will not stop disease in Africa and elsewhere. Mpox remains a significant public health crisis, as does widespread public distrust.
Don’t be deceived.
