Attachments
Highlights:
As of 30 September 2024, the epidemic spread from 34 to 38 out of 49 health districts. Among these, 32 are currently active, having reported at least one confirmed case in the last 21 days.
A total of 515 cases out of 853 reported confirmed cases were recorded in three health districts of Bujumbura (Bujumbura North, Centre and South). Bujumbura North was the most affected district with 359 cases (42%).
Children 15 years old and younger are the most affected group (51.9%) with children under 5 accounting for 27.3 per cent of the total confirmed cases. Youth between 20 and 30 years represent 22.3 per cent of cases.
UNICEF supplied 14 water bladders and funding for water trucking in Bujumbura's hotspot areas. Four of these bladders are now operational, providing drinking water to 2,000 residents.
1,183 individuals affected by mpox, including 758 children (64%), have received mental health and psychosocial support.
Since August 2024, over 9.6 million individuals have been reached through nationally aired radio spots, announcing the outbreak and providing prevention information.
UNICEF partners conducted community dialogues and educational sessions reaching 4,735 people (2,657 women, 1,599 men, 373 young and adolescent girls, and 106 young and adolescent boys, including 13 persons with disabilities).
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION OF MPOX IN BURUNDI
The Government of Burundi declared an mpox outbreak on 25 July 2024 following confirmation of three cases by the National Reference Laboratory. On 21 August 2024, UNICEF activated a Level 3 Corporate Emergency scale-up in countries affected by mpox outbreaks caused by the virus.
From 25 July to 30 September 2024, there have been 853 confirmed cases (46.2% women and girls), zero deaths reported and with over 2,236 suspected cases across 38 out of 49 districts. Approximately 60.7 per cent (518) of confirmed cases are children and youth under 20 years old, with children under 5 accounting for 27.3 per cent of the cases (213). The most affected districts are Bujumbura Nord (42.1%), Bujumbura South (15.1%), Bujumbura Center (8%), Gitega (7%), Isare (5.5%), Kayanza 3.9%). A total of 2,550 alerts have been reported since the start of the epidemic. Of these, 2,134 (83.6%) have been investigated, 58 are pending further investigation, 106 have been dropped from follow-up, and 117 have not been validated.5 The mpox outbreak is putting additional pressure on the already strained health system and social services. In addition to the mpox outbreak, the country is grappling with other disease outbreaks, such as cholera (2,189 cholera cases reported with 12 deaths as of 30 September 2024) and measles (14,770 suspected measles cases and 149 deaths reported across 44 out of 49 health districts as of 30 September 2024).