Children account for half of mpox cases in Guinea-Bissau outbreak

More than half of the mpox cases reported in Guinea-Bissau involve children, local authorities say, almost two months after the west African country declared a national epidemic. The outbreak was announced on 4 July, about a week after a 27-year-old woman became the country's first confirmed case. Since then, seven confirmed and 46 suspected cases have been recorded, with half of patients being children, including 16 under the age of four.

Unicef said on Thursday that because the country's health surveillance systems are fragile, the virus is likely spreading undetected, putting more children at risk. Sandra Martins, Unicef's deputy representative in Guinea-Bissau, said this marks the first time mpox has been reported in the country, making even a small outbreak a significant public health event.

Mpox is an infectious viral disease spread through close contact. Since January 2024, more than 2,000 mpox-related deaths have been recorded among tens of thousands of cases across east, central and west Africa. Health workers say the virus variants detected match those circulating in neighbouring countries, indicating a continued strong risk of cross-border transmission. Most confirmed cases are in the Bissau autonomous sector, home to the capital, with one case in the nearby Biombo area. No deaths have been reported so far.

Dr Magda Robalo, a former health minister who led the country's Covid-19 response, said addressing the health system's biggest current gaps requires prioritising surveillance and strengthening frontline capacity. She noted that although case numbers remain small, new infections have continued appearing intermittently over several weeks, indicating ongoing transmission.

The outbreak comes as Guinea-Bissau faces infrastructure challenges and fallout from the military's suspension of last November's presidential election, with the military still in power. Bissau had no electricity for an entire day on Thursday due to fuel shortages. Adding urgency, primary schools nationwide are due to reopen in September. Following the outbreak declaration, community health workers launched a door-to-door awareness campaign using megaphones and translated leaflets, backed by the health ministry and international agencies.