Children account for half of mpox cases in Guinea-Bissau as outbreak spreads
Eromo Egbejule
Guinea-Bissau has recorded 46 suspected mpox cases since declaring an outbreak in July, with children making up more than half of all cases. Health officials warn that weak surveillance systems may allow the virus to spread undetected, putting more children at risk.
More than half of the mpox cases recorded in Guinea-Bissau are children, according to local authorities, nearly two months after the country declared an outbreak.
The national outbreak was announced on July 4, just over a week after a 27-year-old woman became the first confirmed mpox case in the West African nation. Since then, there have been 7 confirmed cases and 46 suspected ones. Half of these patients are children, with 16 under the age of 4.
In a statement on Thursday, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned that due to the country's fragile health surveillance systems, the virus may be spreading undetected, putting more children at risk.
"This is the first time mpox cases have been recorded in Guinea-Bissau, making even a small outbreak a major public health event," said Sandra Martins, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Guinea-Bissau.
Mpox is a contagious viral disease that can be transmitted through close contact. More than 2,000 mpox-related deaths have been reported among tens of thousands of cases in East, Central, and West Africa since January 2024.
Health workers said the clade variants are consistent with the virus circulating in neighboring countries, meaning the risk of cross-border transmission in the region remains high. Most confirmed cases are concentrated in the autonomous sector of Bissau, which includes the capital, while one case is in the nearby Biombo region. No deaths have been recorded so far.
Dr. Magda Robalo, a former health minister who led the country's Covid-19 response, said that to address "the biggest gaps in the current health system," priority should be given to strengthening surveillance and reinforcing frontline capacity.
"Although the number of cases is small, new cases have been appearing continuously for weeks, which means transmission is ongoing," said Robalo, co-founder of the Institute for Global Health and Development and former director for infectious diseases at the World Health Organization (WHO).
The outbreak comes as the country grapples with infrastructure challenges and the aftermath of the military's suspension of presidential elections in November last year, with the military still in power. For instance, the capital Bissau lost power all day Thursday due to a fuel shortage since the weekend.
Many public health laboratories in the region lack the equipment to deal with the outbreak, but they have institutional knowledge from handling other crises.
Guinea-Bissau is no different, but there is an added sense of urgency as primary schools are expected to reopen nationwide in September. After the outbreak was declared, community health workers immediately began door-to-door awareness campaigns using loudspeakers and translated leaflets, with support from the Ministry of Health and international organizations.
These grassroots initiatives are seen as crucial for building public trust in the public health sector. Earlier this year, the country suspended a controversial U.S.-funded study on hepatitis B vaccines for infants, citing ethical concerns and procedural errors. The decision was welcomed by many across the continent and highlighted sensitivities around emergency health interventions.
