According to UNICEF, in Burundi, youngsters aged between 5 and 19 currently account for 33 percent of mpox cases. Schools and parents are taking this information seriously, as the new academic year gets underway.
At a school in western Burundi, staff are doing what they can to protect pupils and themselves. The director of the 'Les petits trésors' establishment says, 'When they line up in front of the flag, they have to keep their distance to avoid touching their friends. And they have to wash their hands.'
Over the course of the past few weeks, the country has seen a rise of more than 40 percent in cases of mpox. Hundreds of cases have been reported since July.
Across the border, the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo is also facing an uptick in mpox cases. The World Health Organisation recently stated that suspected cases in the DRC account for a majority of the nearly 30,000 recorded in Africa since the start of the year.
In August, the WHO declared the outbreak of the disease in parts of Africa a public health emergency. Beyond Africa, a handful of cases have been confirmed in countries including Sweden and Pakistan.
