NAIROBI, Aug 17 (Bernama-dpa) -- The international medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is concerned about the speed at which a new variant of mpox - formerly known as monkeypox - is spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"In addition to the latest mutation, we are also concerned about the fact that the disease has occurred in the refugee camps around Goma, where people live in very confined spaces and the disease could spread rapidly," said MSF global health expert Jasmin Behrends, reported German news agency (dpa).
MSF has recently intensified operations in eastern Congo, where large numbers of internally displaced people fleeing armed conflicts live in difficult conditions.
"Without improved access to vaccines, thousands of people will not be able to protect themselves from infection, including children under the age of 15," said Justin Eyong, an MSF coordinator in the region.
Children are particularly vulnerable to mpox, accounting for 56 per cent of cases and 79 per cent of deaths this year.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday declared a public health emergency in response to the new outbreaks in Africa.
-- BERNAMA-dpa)
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