Mpox Explained: 5 Key Answers from a Public Health Expert

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You may have heard about mpox in the news, especially since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a public health emergency of international concern last month – but what exactly is it, and how is it affecting refugees and other displaced people? We spoke with Dr. Allen Maina, Chief of Public Health at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to learn more. Question 1 - What is mpox and how does it spread? Mpox is an infectious viral disease that is associated with varied symptoms including fever, swollen lymph nodes as well as a painful rash. So what do we know so far; And we're still trying to understand the transmission dynamics, is that mpox is transmitted from person to person mainly through close contact with someone who has mpox mainly through close contact with someone who has mpox including among household members. Again, from current reports, most cases of mpox Again, from current reports, most cases of mpox are mild, resolving within a few weeks. are mild, resolving within a few weeks. But we're seeing that in some people, particularly children, pregnant women and people with weak immune systems enduring a more severe disease, with some cases being fatal. Question 2 - Where are we seeing the most MPOX cases so far? We are seeing a rise in number of cases of mpox particularly in Africa, where most cases have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country that has been impacted by decades of conflict and now hosting some 7.3 million internally displaced people and about 500,000 refugees. Among these many cases of mpox being reported, we are starting to see some refugees contracting mpox in some of these countries. Question 3 - What are UNHCR concerns  about the potential impact of mpox on refugees and on displaced populations?   So UNHCR is particularly concerned about the conditions that refugees and displaced people find themselves in. Including overcrowded settlements and sites with inadequate shelter, making it difficult to self isolate. We also concerned about inadequate food rations that are affecting the ability to fight off illnesses, We’re also concerned about the poor water and sanitation facilities and inadequate access to basic hygiene items like soap. And we are concerned about the weak health systems that have been affected by years of conflict, with inadequate capacity to respond to recurrent disease outbreaks. Question 4 - What can be done or what is UNHCR doing to help prevent the spread of mpox among refugees and displaced people?  So UNHCR is working with governments. the World Health Organization and other partners to be able to ensure that refugees and displaced people are included in all aspects of the mpox preparedness and response plans. And some of these activities that we're doing include strengthening the health system capacity, providing as much soap, water and, handwashing facilities as possible, as well as engaging and effectively communicating with communities who are key partners in the response. Question 5 - What are the challenges in terms of ensuring refugees and displaced people who contract Mpox can access treatment? So we're concerned that people cannot access healthcare services because of ongoing conflict, which is also affecting access to testing facilities. We are so concerned that with ongoing insecurity, We are so concerned that with ongoing insecurity, some areas are cut off from much needed humanitarian and development assistance. Some of the operations impacted by this emergency are heavily underfunded, are heavily underfunded, and they're not able to adequately provide essential services like health, water and sanitation. We need more resources to ensure that no one is left behind.

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Published to Youtube on: 06/09/2024

Archived on: 09/11/2024

Original URL (may no longer be available): https://youtube.com/watch?v=XfxJ9YN_aNs