UNICEF identifies children as being specifically vulnerable towards the emergent strain of Mpox.
UNICEF, being the UN's child welfare organization, views children as being especially at risk from the latest variant of the Mpox disease. As a result, the organization advocates for children's needs to be prioritized in disease control efforts, asserted Etleva Kadilli, UNICEF's Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa.
She pointed out that the situation in Burundi is particularly dire, with infection numbers almost doubling within a week, as per recent African CDC data. Out of these cases, around 60% affected children and adolescents, with one child under five infected for every five reported cases, Kadilli emphasized. Furthermore, measles outbreaks have hit several Burundi regions, with many children being unvaccinated and malnourished.
The heart of Mpox outbreaks still resides in Central Africa, specifically in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where approximately 17,800 cases have been reported since January's start.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently escalated its alert status to the highest level due to the Mpox outbreaks in Africa and the potentially more harmful variant - Clade Ib. Indiana of 50,000 vaccine doses is being organized for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, accompanied by Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda.
In light of the escalated alert status by the World Health Organization, it's crucial for other vulnerable countries, such as Burundi, to receive the necessary resources for disease control. Regrettably, other children in Burundi, along with the unvaccinated and malnourished, are particularly susceptible to the ongoing measles outbreaks.
