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As Mpox cases surge in Africa, with 35,525 cases and 996 deaths reported as of 8 October in 14 countries, including Nigeria, PREMIUM TIMES sat down with Eduardo Celades, the Chief of Public Health for UNICEF Nigeria, to discuss the Mpox outbreak, its impact on children, vaccine hesitancy, other major health concerns, and the Nigerian health sector.

PT: There’s a global outbreak of Mpox, particularly in Africa, and children are amongst the group most vulnerable to this disease. Nigeria has also recorded several suspected and confirmed cases. How vulnerable are children in Nigeria to this virus?

Celades: First, it’s important to understand how Mpox is transmitted. Mpox is very easily transmitted with close contact. Close contact with fluids, sweat, changing linen, or taking care of the rash or sores that an infected person can have. When a person with Mpox is not isolated, it can easily transmit to close contacts. That’s why we see a lot of transmission at the household level. If one person has Mpox, other members of the family are likely to be infected.

Globally, at UNICEF, we saw that 65 per cent of the total cases of this outbreak are children under five. Here in Nigeria, out of the 67 confirmed cases, at least 24 are for children under 10. This shows children are very vulnerable to Mpox. For us at UNICEF, children are a priority in the efforts to prevent the expansion of the outbreak. They are highly vulnerable, especially if they have underlying conditions. If they are malnourished, for example, they will have weak defences and, for this, face a bigger risk of death.

PT: In August, we received some doses of Mpox vaccines. How many doses for children are available?

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