What is mpox? Your questions answered.

Mpox is not the next global pandemic like COVID-19, according to public health officials. But the spread of mpox is alarming health experts as it spreads to more countries in East Africa. The mpox epidemic must be addressed quickly and effectively in order to avoid a larger global spread.With more than 17,000 suspected or confirmed cases and more than 500 deaths in at least 12 countries in Africa, the epidemic has already surpassed mpox outbreaks of previous years. But mpox can be contained through a combination of education, protection measures, prompt medical attention and coordinated action from local, national and international organizations. Here are some answers to common questions about mpox.What is mpox and how is it spread?Mpox is a viral illness caused by the mpox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus, which is related to smallpox but less severe. Previously known as ‘monkeypox’, the name waschanged to mpox by the WHO in late 2022 due to stigma associated with its former name.Mpox is not new. The first case in humans was recorded in 1970 and the disease is considered endemic in West and Central Africa. Historically there have been two broad variations or ‘clades’ of mpox:Clade 1: The oldest form of the virus, this variation typically causes more serious illness and death and is endemic in Central Africa. It is spread through contact with infected wild animals and through close human contact. Children seem to be more at risk.Clade 2: This clade caused a global mpox outbreak in 2022. Infections tend to be less severe. Reported cases since 2022 are mainly, but not exclusively, among men who have sex with men and their close contacts. This clade is endemic in West Africa. In September 2023, a new clade emerged – clade 1b – which has rapidly spread in adults through sexual contact and in children through household contact, and is one of the main reasons for mpox being declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.Clade 1b has already spread to countries with no previous reported cases of mpox: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. A high number of clade 1b cases in DRC and Burundi are among children, demonstrating the disease isn’t only spreading through sexual contact.What are the symptoms of mpox?The most common clinical symptoms are rash, discomfort, sore throat, fever, lymph node swelling, skin lesionsand lack of appetite.Many patients have experienced a single lesion or sore in their mouth or on their genitals, which could be mistaken for herpes, syphilis, staph infection, or acne.While mpox rash is typically more concentrated on the face, trunk, palms of the hands and soles of the feet, mouth or oral mucous lesions are found in up to 70 percent of cases.How deadly is mpox?“Most people fully recover from mpox, but some get very sick,”explains Gwen Eamer, IFRC Senior Officer for Public Health in Emergencies.“People who exhibit symptoms should see a doctor, as medical attention and treatment can drastically reduce the severity of the infection.”“Mpox can be a stigmatizing disease due to its physical appearance, but we should stay calm and be part of solution by working together to get the necessary resources and help to the people who need it most.”Who is most at risk of severe illness from mpox?People with suppressed immune systems, children, young adults who have not received a smallpox vaccine, and pregnant women are most at-risk of severe disease from mpox.How can I protect myself from mpox?To reduce your risks, stay informed and up-to-date on the signs and symptoms of mpox, how it spreads, and what to do if you get sick. You should also monitor the risk level in your area.Mpox can be prevented by avoiding close contact, including sexual contact, with infected people and animals.If you suspect you have mpox, seek medical attention as soon as possible.If you are confirmed to have mpox:Follow medical advice, including taking any prescribed medicationInform people you have been in contact with, or follow contact tracing guidelines from your country’s health authoritiesStay at home and avoid physical contact with other people until all scabs fall off and new skin forms underneathCover lesions and wear a well-fitting mask when around other peopleWatch this short Mpox explainer video on YouTube:How serious is this mpox outbreak?In mid-August, the WHO determined that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa is a ‘public health emergency of international concern’, requiring a coordinated international response.“That does not mean this is going to be a pandemic like COVID-19,”Eamer adds. “But this is a call to action to dedicate the resources we have around the world to stop this where it is now.”The situation is alarming with the rapid spread among newly at-risk populations, and to areas and countries that have never experienced mpox before.The case fatality rate is also higher compared to the 2022 pandemic and it could increase if more children and other high-risk populations are infected, but decreases with early access to supportive treatment and vaccination.What is the IFRC doing in response to the mpox outbreak?The IFRC is ramping up response efforts over the surge of mpox cases across Africa. The IFRC has extensive experience managing previous disease outbreaks, such as Ebola and COVID-19.With a vast network of more than 4 million volunteers and 14,000 staff across the continent, the IFRC network of Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies is providing critical support to governments, including community-based surveillance, risk communication and community engagement, and mental health services.The IFRC has also launched an CHF40 million regional emergency appeal to bolster mpox preparedness and response across Africa, with CHF 5 million provided through the IFRC Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF) as a loan to this regional emergency appeal. This funding will help us reach 30 million people in countries with an active outbreak, including DRC and neighbouring countries at high risk of the virus spreading further.In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country reporting the most mpox cases, how is the DRC Red Cross responding? In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Red Cross has been supporting the government response by sharing trusted and accurate health information with communities, conducting community-based surveillance to detect and report suspected cases, providing psychosocial support to affected people, and supporting with community-based health and hygiene promotion measures.Through theCommunity Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3)and theProgrammatic Partnershipthe DRC Red Cross (with technical support from IFRC and French Red Cross) has been building health resilience in communities across the country for many years, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to quickly detect, prevent and respond to disease outbreaks.USAID has also provided additional funding since April to support the DRC Red Cross response to mpox.What are Red Cross Societies in countries neighbouring DRC doing to control the outbreak?National Societies in neighbouring countries are now responding to their first cases of mpox and are rapidly scaling support to communities. They are working to help detect and respond to new cases to reduce illness and deaths and limit the spread of the virus.Burundi Red Cross is supporting their Ministry of Health to respond to the rapid increase in mpox cases with support from the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF).I’m from a Red Cross or Red Crescent National Society, what mpox resources can I use within my community or country?The IFRC’sEpidemic Control Toolkit provides guidance on evidence-based methods to prevent and control the spread of epidemics at the community-level, and guidance on appropriate referral and basic care for the sick.Guidance on mpox for community volunteers and for response managers has been recently updated and is available in multiple languages.In addition, here are some other helpful resources:IFRC: Community-based surveillance resourcesWHO: Clinical management and Infection Prevention Control for mpox (interim guidelines, June 2022)Centers for Disease Control (CDC): Reducing stigma in mpox communication and community engagementIFRC: Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) Toolkit

IFRC announces CHF 40 million appeal as Africa faces surge in mpox cases

Kinshasa/Nairobi/Geneva – 23 August 2024 – The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched an CHF40 million regional emergency appeal to bolster mpox preparedness and response across Africa, with CHF 5 million provided through the IFRC Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF) as a loan to this regional emergency appeal.This funding will help us reach 30 million people in countries with an active outbreak, including DRC and neighbouring countries at high risk of the virus spreading further.Mohammed Omer Mukhier, IFRC Regional Director says:“It’s a serious situation that could potentially spread like wildfire across the continent and beyond, if we don’t act fast. We have already ramped up our mpox response in DRC which is bearing the brunt of this mpox outbreak putting its neighbours at high risk.”The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become the epicentre of a rapidly escalating mpox epidemic. The virus is now in all 26 provinces of the DRC, with different variants (‘clades’) being spread simultaneously. Alarmingly, cross-border transmission from the DRC’s eastern regions, particularly North and South Kivu, is rising, affecting non-endemic countries like Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya. Meanwhile, outbreaks in endemic countries such as Nigeria, Central African Republic, South Africa and Cote d’Ivoire are re-emerging or escalating. This marks the first time that sustained transmission of multiple variants is being reported concurrently both endemic and non-endemic regions across Africa.Dr Irene Kiiza, IFRC, Manager - Africa, Health and Care in Disaster and Climate Crises says:“We are quickly deploying available resources to focus on hotspots like DRC and Burundi, but we need more to ensure the virus is contained. Our priority is to curb the spread of the virus through community-based surveillance, contact tracing, mental health support and targeted interventions partnering with local health authorities and communities.”In response to this crisis, the DRC Red Cross has intensified its efforts. Leveraging skills and strategies honed through the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3) with USAID and the Programmatic Partnership with the European Union, DRC Red Cross volunteers are actively engaged in health information dissemination, community-based surveillance, and the provision of psychosocial support. USAID also provided additional funding since April 2024 to support the DRC Red Cross response to mpox in Equateur, one of the hardest hit provinces.Mercy Laker, IFRC Head of Country Cluster Delegation, Kinshasa:“We have been working in the mpox response as well as other disease outbreaks such as Ebola and COVID-19. Our team, including staff and volunteers, are on the ground, helping keep communities safe during this tough time. The funding from the appeal will help boost our operations in DRC and Burundi.”In Burundi, the government has a comprehensive response plan to tackle the ongoing health crisis. With more than 100 active cases, the Burundi MOH is focused on boosting the capacity of health facilities and laboratories nationwide, while the Burundi Red Cross is providing direct support to affected communities to ensure they are aware of the risks and can access the care available.Through this appeal, the IFRC will strengthen African National Societies’ capabilities to fulfil their auxiliary role and support national governments in enhancing disease surveillance, providing community health education, providing care and support for mpox patients - and delivering psychosocial support. The response will be tiered, with specific interventions tailored to the level of outbreak in each country including heightened risk case importation, imported cases and established mpox transmission.More information There is more on the Emergency Appeal on this page.  To request an interview, contact: [email protected]  In Geneva: Tommaso Della Longa: +41 79 708 43 67 Andrew Thomas: +41 76 367 65 87 In Nairobi: Susan Nzisa Mbalu: +254 733 827 654In Goma:Gracia Dunia: +243 813 274 794

Central African Republic: Red Cross project gives a boost to a weakened health system

IFRC's Muriel Atsama and Bienvenue Doumta, head of communications at the Central African Red Cross, visited several of these facilities and filed this report. It's 7.30 am when we arrive at the Sakai health centre. On the benches outside, several patients are waiting to be examined by Don de Dieu, who is the head nurse that day. Among the many patients sitting on the benches is Rebecca, who is holding her sick daughter in her hand. "My family and I used to come here for consultations when we were ill," she says. "The nurses treat us well and we get free medication”. Located about thirty kilometres from the capital, Bangui, the Sakai centre receives patients from 36 villages. Renovated in 2020 by the Central African Red Cross (CARC), it previously consisted of a single building made of earth and was in a state of advanced deterioration. Now the centre now has two buildings, including a maternity hospital, a room for maternal, child-health and family-planning, a child consultation room, and a child hospitalisation room. There is also a dispensary with a five-bed hospital ward, a treatment room, a laboratory, and a pharmacy. In previous years, the centre had only the bare minimum to accommodate and treat patients. The renovation and equipping of the centre by the Red Cross has been a breath of fresh air for the whole village. The aim of these renovations was to make the Minimum Package of Activities, a basic standard for heath services, available to the people here. "The health centre has changed a lot and has really improved," adds Rebecca. "We can see it in the equipment the nurses use to look after us. Today, more than ever, we come here for consultations, and we're satisfied." For Don de Dieu, these improvements also make it possible to offer hospital services to a greater number of people, consistently and over a longer period. "Thanks to the project, we have benefited from solar panels that provide continuous electricity," he explains. "We can now carry out patient examinations at any time and store our products in better conditions". The centre has also received an incinerator for waste management, as well as beds, office space, a waste-sorting shed and a borehole for pumping water from the ground. "Thanks to this new facility, the number of patients attending the Sakai health centre has increased exponentially", adds Don de Dieu. "From around a hundred patients a month in the past, we now welcome more than 500 patients from the surrounding villages.” Pride of the village A little further on, we meet Charles, the chief of the village of Sakaï. He explains that this new building is the pride of his village and the surrounding villages. What's more, his entire community gets safe drinking water from the borehole. "The borehole at the Sakaï health centre is a source of water that serves the whole community," says Charles. The Sakai health centre is not the only one to have benefited from these rehabilitations. A total of 14 other health centres across the country and one hospital have received a wide range of equipment, including an ambulance, an X-ray machine and other equipment required to meet the necessary standards. Our visit continued at Bangui University's Faculty of Health Sciences, where we were welcomed by the Dean, Professor Boniface Koffi. "Thanks to the Red Cross and its donors, all the offices have been renovated,” he said. “The roofs of some buildings have been replaced, as has the electricity. We have also received office furniture, around 1,200 chairs and tables for the comfort of our students, as well as around twenty microscopes.” The University of Bangui was founded in 1969, and the two buildings that make up the Faculty of Science and Health were constructed in 1970 and 1980. Since then, they had not been renovated, and crises weakened them. A perfect illustration In addition to this equipment, the Red Cross has equipped the faculty's digital library with 35 desktop computers, eight laptops and video projectors. "We are very grateful for this major donation from the Central African Red Cross, which has breathed new life into our faculty,” he concludes. “But as you know, the hand that receives asks for more. We would like to have many more classrooms to accommodate and train even more students. Our country badly needs them for the well-being of the population". Our journey ends at the Central African Red Cross University Institute for Paramedical Training, where we are welcomed by Honorine Konzelo, Director of the Institute studies. Created in 2010, the initial building was constructed at the CARC headquarters. Following the crisis that hit the country, the institute was relocated to an abandoned primary school that was in urgent need of renovation. Today, it has three laboratory rooms, a library and lecture theatres. The Red Cross is also paying the salary of the staff accountant, who has also worked as a teacher since the project began. "Our institute is a perfect illustration of the Red Cross's commitment to the well-being of young people, who need high-quality training, and to the population, which needs qualified health workers," says Ms Honorine. The CAR health system reconstruction project has been implemented by the Central African Red Cross since 2018 thanks to technical support from IFRC. Funded by the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KFW), the project is in its second phase of implementation, which will run until 2026.

REACH initiative

Our Resilient and Empowered African Community Health (REACH) initiative, in partnership with Africa CDC, aims to improve the health of communities across Africa by scaling upeffective, people-centred and integrated community health workforces and systems.

Sudan: Critical funding needed urgently to continue aid to people affected by conflict

Khartoum/Nairobi/Cairo/Beirut/Geneva, 2 June 2023 – In its seventh week, the conflict in Sudan has depleted the resources of the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS), prompting the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to double its Emergency Appeal to 60 million Swiss francs. It is also launching a second regional appeal of 42 million Swiss francs to support the influx of people fleeing to neighboring countries. SRCS Secretary General Aida Elsayed said: “Without this support, the people of Sudan will suffer grave humanitarian impacts as they will simply not be able to meet their basic needs and the consequences will be severe. The fighting shows no signs of slowing down and the human toll continues to grow every day." “If funded, this revised appeal will mean SRCS can continue with evacuations, provision of water, food, shelter, first aid and psychological support as well as reuniting families. It will surely mean the difference between life and death for many people. It will certainly be a deciding factor in whether countless families experience extreme suffering.” Shortages of medicine, food, water and fuel, destruction of hospitals, residential buildings, energy and water infrastructure as well as the risks of death and injury due to the fighting and lack of access to cash means people are not able to access essential goods and services or move to safety. With 40,000 volunteers in 18 branches around the country, SRCS is the largest humanitarian organization on the ground in Sudan and has so far provided more than 40,000 meals and food parcels, 24,000 first aid and medical treatments, and evacuated 740 wounded people. SRCS is also conducting safe and dignified burials for those who lost their lives. “While our SRCS volunteers have been working tirelessly to help people since the start of the conflict despite the dangers and the fact that they and their own families are also affected, much more is needed. But this will only be possible if we receive the funding. Without it, we are leaving the people of Sudan to face impossible situations that many may not survive,” said Ms Elsayed. Nine million people have been affected by the conflict in a country where 11.7 million people were already in need of food and livelihood assistance. “With these pre-existing vulnerabilities and lifesaving food aid almost completely stopped, the consequences will be disastrous for families relying on this assistance,” said Ms Elsayed. The new Regional Population Movement Appeal will support the humanitarian response activities of National Societies in the neighboring countries of Egypt, Chad, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Ethiopia and Libya. IFRC Regional Director for Africa Mohammed Mukhier said: “More than 330,000 people have fled the devastating conflict in Sudan seeking safety in neighboring countries. The situation is extremely volatile and as the conflict continues, the movement across borders will only increase. These were already vulnerable people, with the majority women and children, and a significant number are fleeing violence for a second time having been displaced from camps in Sudan.” Outside Sudan the presence of Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies staff and volunteers at border points is crucial. They are operating Humanitarian Service Points to provide people fleeing the conflict with essential services such as psychosocial support, medication, first aid, food and sim cards as well as restoring family links. For more information or to request an interview, please contact: [email protected] In Nairobi: Rita Nyaga, +254 110 837 154, [email protected] Susan Cullinan, +61 457 527 197, [email protected] In Beirut: Mey el Sayegh, +96176174468, [email protected] In Geneva: Anna Tuson, +41 79 895 6924 Tommaso Della Longa, +41 79 708 4367

Sudan crisis: Regional population movement

Over 1.4 million people have been forced to flee Sudan's devastating conflict, arriving in neighbouring countries exhausted, injured, and without food, water. Red Cross and Red Crescent teams are already on the ground in Egypt, Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia, CAR, and Libya providing emergency health care, clean water, food, and vital family tracing services to the most vulnerable.

Central African Red Cross Society