UNICEF wants 58.8 million dollars to stop the mpox outbreak in Africa

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has issued an emergency request for nearly 59 million dollars to support efforts to end the MPOX disease. UNICEF's statement has explained that the same level of money is needed to deal with the rapid spread of monkeypox in six African countries, including Burundi, where children are most affected.

Dr. Paul Ngwakum, UNICEF's Health Adviser in the East and Southern Africa region has said "Children in Burundi are bearing the brunt of the mpox outbreak with alarming rates of infection and health effects. He said, among the nearly 600 patients reported, two-thirds are children under the age of 19 and the situation is increasing at a rapid rate, with an increase of more than 40 percent in the last three weeks."

For his part, the representative of UNICEF in Burundi, France Bégin, has said that the increase in mpox infections among children in Burundi, including those under the age of five, is of great concern and protecting them is our priority.

On August 14 this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international emergency due to the spread of the mpox virus, especially the increase in cases of infection of the new type of the virus known as Clade 1b in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to the WHO, the African region is currently witnessing an increase in flu infections, with 14 countries on the continent affected.

The World Health Organization has announced that, despite the fact that the infection of the disease has been increasing rapidly, but the deaths resulting from the disease are few.