“Children have been the worst off”

September 21 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday of the consequences of MPOX for the child population of Burundi, describing the situation of children under five as “particularly worrying”, although it argued that they can “end this dangerous and threatening outbreak in a relatively short period of time” if they act “quickly”.

“Children in Burundi are bearing the brunt of the MPOX outbreak, with alarming rates of infection and serious health repercussions,” UNICEF Regional Health Adviser for Eastern and Southern Africa Paul Ngwakum told a news briefing.

Ngwakum said two-thirds of the nearly 600 cases reported in the country were among children under 19 years of age and lamented that “the situation has worsened rapidly, with an increase of more than 40 percent in the last three weeks.”

In this context, children under five years of age, who represent 30 percent of the total reported cases according to data from the United Nations agency, have become the most vulnerable group, “which underlines the urgent need for specific interventions when schools reopen” in the country.

UNICEF has therefore stressed the importance of training school staff to recognise the first symptoms of monkeypox and of strengthening hygiene in schools.

“Our goal is to ensure that all girls and boys can return to school safely and to minimise educational disruptions. But make no mistake, we do not have all the answers. No one does. This is a rapidly evolving situation, with a new infectious strain, and every day we learn more about the different modes of transmission. And with more information, we update our messages and our response,” said the regional advisor of the fund.

Ngwakum, however, was optimistic as no deaths from MPOX had been reported and said that “they have the opportunity to end this outbreak in a short period of time.”

“The geographic area remains limited and with a concerted effort from all partners, we can limit the spread, contain the virus and potentially end the outbreak without loss of life. But we must act now with greater care and support,” he said.