NEWBORNS GET DEADLY MPOX IN OVERCROWDED HOSPITALS IN DRC AS CASES RAPIDLY RISE

GOMA, August 12, 2024– Newborn babies as young as two weeks old are becoming infected with the deadly mpoxvirus in overcrowded hospitals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Save the Children said, as global authorities meet to decide whether the rapid spread of the virus constitutes a global emergency.

About 15,000 suspected cases have been identified in DRC so far this year, surpassing the total for 2023 (1), and the virus is spreading to other countries in Africa. Authorities, health workers and aid agencies are racing against time to contain the spread of the deadly disease in a country already mired in a humanitarian crisis and with one of the world’s most fragile health systems.

According to Save the Children, both cases and deaths are more common in children than adults.

The rapid spread of the virus in DRC – which is said to have around 90% of all cases – is putting pressure on an already fragile health system still reeling from previous outbreaks of Ebola and COVID-19 and shortages of staff and medical supplies. Some health centres around Goma are experiencing patient intakes 4,000% above capacity, Save the Children said.

Jacques, epidemiologist and MPOX expert at a Save the Children partner in South Kivu province, DRC, said:

“The worst case I have seen is a six week old baby who was only two weeks old when he contracted mpox and has now been with us for four weeks. He contracted it because overcrowding in the hospital meant that he and his mother had to share a room with someone else who had the virus, which at that time had not yet been diagnosed.

“He had a rash all over his body, his skin started to turn black and he had a high fever. His parents were shocked by his condition and feared he would die..”

Children are at greater risk of contracting the virus, also known as monkeypox, than adults. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 70% of the 14,901 cases in the DRC were in children under 15 years of age (2) (3) and 39% of the cases were in children under five years of age (4).

Children in the DRC are also almost four times more likely to die from MPOX than adults, with WHO data showing the case-fatality rate for children under one year of age is 8.6%, compared to 2.4% in people aged 15 and over. Of the deaths reported in May 2024, 62% were in children under 5 years of age, the same data shows.

WHO will meet on Wednesday to discuss whether the MPOX outbreak in Africa constitutes a global public health emergency.

The newest mpox variant, clade 1b, was discovered in the DRC in September 2023 and has now also been found in neighboring Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Burundi.

The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is also investigating whether the rapid spread of the virus in the DRC and across borders constitutes a public health emergency.

Mpox causes fever, rash and lesions all over the body, severe headache, and fatigue. Some children also develop breathing problems and difficulty swallowing, and are at higher risk for secondary bacterial infections. In severe cases, mpox can lead to sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to infection that requires immediate medical attention from a specialist.

According to Save the Children, the close resemblance of some of the signs and symptoms of mpox to other common childhood illnesses, such as scabies and chickenpox, can lead to delayed recognition and treatment. This contributes to transmission and poorer outcomes due to delayed diagnosis and treatment.

Additionally, caregivers must combat the socio-cultural stigma surrounding the virus, due to the widespread belief that the virus is only spread through sexual contact. In fact, the virus can spread through any skin-to-skin contact, through airborne contact in close proximity – such as COVID-19 – and even through contaminated surfaces and objects such as bedding, clothing, and cooking utensils.

Greg Ramm, Country Director of Save the Children in DRC, said:

“Children and families in eastern DRC are in shock, their lives already devastated by years of conflict, displacement and some of the highest hunger rates in the world. Health systems are already collapsing under the pressure of rising rates of malnutrition, measles and cholera, combined with residual effects from previous Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks.

“Adding a new deadly virus that aggressively attacks children to the mix is ​​a cruel blow of fate. As we have seen time and time again, it is already disadvantaged children who are most at risk. Around Goma in eastern DRC are three IDP camps where some 354,000 children are crammed into tents in unsanitary conditions, with limited access to clean water, health care and adequate nutrition. The deadly mpox can flit from tent to tent.

“With the humanitarian response in the country already grossly underfunded (6), this is the critical moment for international donors to step in and contain the spread of this disease, support health care and prevent further deaths of innocent people.. We need a rapid increase in vaccines and capacity to do this locally. We only have a few weeks left before children go back to school – we must stop the spread now.”

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Save the Children is responding to the MPOX outbreak in North Kivu and South Kivu by providing water, sanitation and health care. This includes providing personal protective equipment and training leaders in community engagement, communication and early warning systems to identify and report suspected cases.

Save the Children is also working with the national government in Burundi on a national response plan to the rising number of infections.

Save the Children has been working in DRC since 1994 to meet humanitarian needs related to refugee arrivals and population displacement as a result of armed conflict in eastern provinces. Save the Children has scaled up its humanitarian response to support existing health systems, train local leaders and communities to prevent and respond to exploitation and abuse, and ensure access to health care through mobile clinics. It also helps children access basic education by building classrooms, training teachers and distributing learning materials.

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(1) According to data from the National Task Force on Mpox (SGI-Mpox), there have been 14,901 suspected cases with 511 deaths so far in 2024, already exceeding the total number of cases in 2023. The total number of M-pox cases in the DRC in 2023 was 14,626, with 654 deaths, according to data from the National Task Force on Mpox (SGI-Mpox).

(2) CDC Mpox Rapid Risk Assessment (cdc.gov)

(3) According to data from the National Task Force on Mpox (SGI-Mpox), there have been 14,901 suspected cases with 511 deaths so far in 2024, already exceeding the total number of cases in 2023. The total number of M-pox cases in the DRC in 2023 was 14,626, with 654 deaths, according to data from the National Task Force on Mpox (SGI-Mpox).

(4) World Health Organization Mpox – Democratic Republic of Congo (who.int)

(5) Rapport de Situation sur l’epidemie de la variole du singe, Sitrep no. 015, WHO Burundi, August 8, 2024

(6) As of mid-June, the UN 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan for the DRC was only 26% funded. Expansion of military group in the Democratic Republic of Congo ‘carries a very real risk of provoking a broader regional conflict’, head of mission tells Security Council | Meeting coverage and press releases

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