UNICEF Files 16.5 Million US Dollars Handling Mpox In Africa

JAKARTA - The United Nations (UNICEF) Children's Fund has applied for funds of US$ 16.5 million (Rp256 billion) to increase the handling ofmpox disease in East and South Africa.

Regional Director of the United Nations Agency for East and South Africa, Etleva Kadilli, said children and vulnerable communities are on the verge of an outbreak of thempox in the region as confirmed cases have been detected in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa.

The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) noted Burundi had confirmed more than 500 cases ofmpoxes in about 25 of the country's 49 districts.

Reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Friday, August 23, UNICEF said nearly 60 percent of the cases detected were children and adolescents under the age and children under the age of 5 reached 21 percent.

"In addition to immediate responses to save lives, risk communication efforts and cross-border collaboration, investment in strengthening the health system as a whole, the sustainability of essential services and focusing on programs that support child welfare as a whole must be prioritized," said Kadilli.

A new variant of thempex virus (clade Ib) has been detected in all affected countries except South Africa. This raises concerns because of the wider potential for transmission in various age groups, especially children, according to UNICEF.

They also expressed concern about the secondary impact of the mpox outbreak on children and adolescents, such as stigma, discrimination, and disruption to schools and learning.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is still the country most affected by the epidemic with nearly 18,000 cases recorded since early 2024, according to data from the CDC Africa.