Cases of mpox in children and young people up to the age of 19 have multiplied by 75 this year in the Congolese province of South Kivu and have increased twice as fast as among the rest of the population, according to Save the Children.
While only 15 cases were recorded in the first four weeks of 2024, the number rose to 1,192 between 22 July and 18 August, according to data from the health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo), analyzed by Save the Children and used as the basis for a study by the NGO.
DRCongo registers around 90% of the world's mpox cases and, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), has 18,000 cases and more than 600 deaths. The latest variant of the disease, 1b, which is considered the most dangerous, has been detected in this African country.
The head of Social Advocacy for the international NGO Save the Children in South Kivu, Julien Chabo Byake, called for the population to be educated in order to avoid contagion and recounted the case of a mother who came to think that her son's illness ‘was due to witchcraft or some kind of evil from others’.
‘There is a lot of misinformation in the community: some believe that this disease doesn't exist, others claim that it originated in European laboratories to reduce the African population, while others think that it is witchcraft or a punishment from God for sinners,’ she warned in a statement.
In addition to the arrival of vaccines, the NGO also called for a substantial injection of funds from the international community to improve hygiene and sanitation facilities in schools and communities, as well as training. The NGO believes that this is essential not only to stop mpox, but also other diseases such as measles, which was responsible for almost 6,000 deaths last year.
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