Child in DRC treated for monkeypox UNICEF: Children affected by monkeypox outbreak Health
Children and the most vulnerable are the first to suffer from the effects of monkeypox in East and Southern Africa, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Thursday.
New cases of the disease, we recall, were identified in five countries: Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and South Africa. They were not previously affected by the virus. Moreover, in each of them, with the exception of South Africa, a new variant of the virus has been recorded.
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The UN has called for $18.5 million to prepare for a “surge” in monkeypox cases
According to UNICEF, Burundi currently has the highest number of monkeypox cases in the region, with children and young people under 20 accounting for about 60 percent of the cases detected.
The risk to children in Burundi is increasing due to the simultaneous occurrence of measles outbreaks. UNICEF has called for an urgent $16.5 million to scale up measures to combat the spread of infections.