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In the heart of Africa, amidst the turmoil of displacement and the echoes of conflict, a new battle wages silently. Seven-year-old Grace Kaboro and her playmates bear the scars of their latest adversary: a variant of empo, a viral infection spreading rampantly through the camps near G, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. What begins as a tale of refuge from violence morphs into a story of a different kind of threat.
How did Grace contract this disease? Her mother, Denise Kahindo, watches her daughter's recovery with a mix of relief and bewilderment. Empo, usually a mild illness, can be deadly. It brings flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, and its new variant is hitting the most vulnerable: children.
But what is the true extent of this crisis? Since July 10th, there have been 35 confirmed cases in the GMA region, predominantly among adults. Yet, at a repurposed Ebola Treatment Center, Dr. Pierre Olivia of charity medair reveals a more startling reality: 130 suspected cases, with half under the age of 5, up to 18. A staggering 95% of these cases are in children.
This variant is not an isolated incident; it's part of an ongoing empo outbreak that has infected 27,000 and claimed over 1,100 lives since January 2023. Congo battles two outbreaks simultaneously: one endemic, the other a variant that appears more contagious. The doctors at the treatment center are puzzled; they've sequenced only a few cases and have discharged 82 patients without any deaths. The risk to children remains unclear.
Dr. Rosand Lewis, head of empo at the World Health Organization, hopes for rapid detection and clinical care, acknowledging the potential for rising numbers. Children, with their close proximity during play and shared living spaces, are particularly susceptible.
Remember the international emergency prompted by another empo variant in 2022? That variant spread globally through sexual contact, prompting public health campaigns and vaccinations in the United States and Europe. But in Congo, the challenge is magnified. No vaccines or specific treatments are available outside of clinical trials. Barriers to medical tools include stigma, regulatory hurdles, and financial constraints, compounded by outbreaks of cholera and measles in the displacement camps.
Last month, Congo approved the use of two empo vaccines, but funding remains a significant challenge. Only a few countries have stepped forward to donate shots. As we witness Grace and her friends grapple with this silent emergency, the question lingers: Can the world act swiftly enough to protect the most vulnerable?
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