Rating agencies and Africa: Why there is bias against the continent

An aeriel view of Lagos. Nigeria challenged Moody’s rating, saying the agency lacked understanding of the country’s environment. File | AFP

Rating agency Fitch recently warned that the rapid spread of the mpox virus in sub-Saharan Africa could add to the fiscal pressures many countries in the region are already experiencing.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation have declared the latest outbreak of mpox in Africa a health emergency. An epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to neighbouring countries.