Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is losing its newborns to the spread of the deadly Mpox virus as hospitals get overcrowded, highlighting the need for immediate action from the government and development partners.
Development Diaries reports that about 15,000 suspected cases of the deadly Mpox virus have been identified so far this year, surpassing the total number from 2023.
In some health centres around Goma, patient intake is 4,000 percent higher than their capacity.
Mpox causes fever, rash and lesions all over the body, severe headaches and fatigue. Some children also develop respiratory problems and have difficulty swallowing, and are at higher risk for secondary bacterial infections.
We also understand that both cases and deaths are more prevalent amongst children than adults.
According to the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), 70 percent of cases and 85 percent of deaths in the DRC occur among children under the age of 15.
Children in the DRC are nearly four times more likely to die from Mpox virus than adults, with World Health Organisation (WHO) data showing that the case fatality ratio for children under the age of one is 8.6 percent, compared to 2.4 percent in people aged 15 and over.
The rapid spread of the virus in DRC, which has reportedly about 90 percent of all cases, is putting a strain on an already fragile health system that still hasn’t recovered from the Ebola outbreak.
Without immediate action, the Mpox outbreak can grow into a catastrophic health crisis, going beyond the borders of the DRC into neighbouring nations.
Development Diaries calls on donor agencies to help provide financial and technical support needed to strengthen the efforts of the government in addressing the health challenge.
Photo source: Global Financing Facility
