The ongoing Mpox outbreak, recognized as a public health emergency by the World Health Organization, is significantly impacting children in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This year, nearly all reported cases and over 450 deaths have been associated with the country.
Alain Matabaro recounts his six-year-old son Amani’s experience, which began with a small, irritated patch on the skin that quickly spread after he attempted to treat it. Following four days of care at a clinic in Munigi, near the key city of Goma, Amani started showing signs of recovery.
Dr. Pierre-Olivier Ngadjole from the charity Medair notes that around 75% of the cases observed at the clinic involve children under ten years old. The outbreak appears to be particularly severe among young children due to their undeveloped immune systems.
Dr. Ngadjole attributes the spread of the disease partly to the overcrowded conditions in a nearby camp for people displaced by violence, where close contact among children is frequent. He emphasizes that children often play together and share sleeping spaces, facilitating daily transmission of the virus.
Since June, the Munigi clinic has treated 310 cases of mpox, offering free services including medications for skin infections, paracetamol, and safe drinking water. The clinic currently admits five to ten new patients each day, but there have been no reported deaths due to the early treatment provided.
Dr. Ngadjole insists on the importance of delivering free health services in these circumstances to encourage people to seek medical help without financial concerns.
Conversely, a hospital in Kavumu, located 80 kilometers southwest of Munigi, faces a much graver situation. Since June, it has treated 800 patients, all under the age of five, with eight fatalities reported. Two-year-old Ansima Kanigo contracted mpox from one of her siblings, who were also infected.
Her mother, Nzigire Kanigo, initially mistook the symptoms for measles. After seeking treatment, her situation improved, with three of her children recovering and only two still hospitalized. She is grateful for the treatments provided.
Dr. Robert Musole, the medical director at the Kavumu hospital, warns against underestimating the severity of the outbreak, emphasizing the overwhelming demand on their limited resources. They face challenges both in accommodating patients and in securing sufficient medications.
Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to millions of displaced individuals living in makeshift camps, often under unsanitary conditions that create a breeding ground for infectious diseases like Mpox.