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Espérance Kundwa lives with her family at a camp for displaced people in Munigi, on the outskirts of Goma, DRC. Overcrowded and unsanitary conditions have made the camp a breeding ground for mpox, also known as monkeypox. "Even when my husband comes home and wants to take our baby, I ask him to wash his hands first," she says.
Mpox is not a new virus. It has spread for years via sexual activity, but now, children are contracting it when they come in close contact with infected people. So far, more than 300 people in Munigi have been identified as having a suspected mpox infection, 70% of whom are children younger than 10, says Tam Berger of Medair, an aid group that provides medical assistance in countries in crisis. Cases have been reported throughout Africa, and now in Europe and Asia.
Mpox is not a new virus. It has spread for years via sexual activity, but now, children are contracting it when they come in close contact with infected people. So far, more than 300 people in Munigi have been identified as having a suspected mpox infection, 70% of whom are children younger than 10, says Tam Berger of Medair, an aid group that provides medical assistance in countries in crisis. Cases have been reported throughout Africa, and now in Europe and Asia.
