The rays of the evening sun shining above Burundi’s main city, Bujumbura, filter in.
He is one of the more than 170 confirmed cases recorded since last month in Burundi.
However, it has been declared a global health emergency because of fears it could spread quickly to previously unaffected countries and regions.
This hospital in Bujumbura is home to one of three mpox treatment centres in the city.
“We are now setting up tents outside.” There are three so far – one for triage, one to hold suspected cases and one to take confirmed cases before they can be transferred to the wards.
Burundi is now seeing a surge in mpox cases.
“Health centres are calling the laboratory saying they have suspected cases, but it takes time for teams from the lab to deploy to where the suspected cases are to take samples.
Despite talk of vaccines reaching DR Congo as early as next week, there are no reports of a similar move for Burundi.
Egide Irambona, forty, shares a treatment room with two other men where he sits bare-chested on his hospital bed by the window.
The main city of Burundi, Bujumbura, receives a filtered light from the evening sun. Blisters cover his face, which is illuminated by a gentle glow. And his arms, and his chest.
“In my throat, I had enlarged lymph nodes.”. I had trouble sleeping because it hurt so much. Then, it moved to my legs and the pain stopped there, he tells the BBC.
Mr. Irambona possesses mpox.
He is among the more than 170 confirmed cases that Burundi has been tracking since last month. Beside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the epicenter of multiple recent mpox outbreaks that have resulted in at least 450 deaths and 14,000 suspected cases so far this year, lies one of the world’s poorest nations.
No deaths have been reported in Burundi, and testing in the affected areas is not yet feasible, so it is unclear how deadly the current outbreak—of a novel strain known as Clade 1b—is.
However, because of concerns that it might spread swiftly to previously unaffected nations and areas, it has been deemed a global health emergency.
Today marks the ninth day of Mr. Irambona’s care at King Khaled University Hospital. He appears to have given the virus to his wife, which is one way that it can spread through intimate contact with an infected person.
In the same facility, she is receiving medical care.
“My friend was suffering from blisters.”. He may have given it to me. It’s mpox, I had no idea. With a sigh, Mr. Irambona says, “Thankfully, none of our seven children have shown any symptoms of it.
One of the three mpox treatment facilities in the city is located in this hospital in Bujumbura.
Of the 61 beds that are available, fifty-nine are occupied by infected patients; of these, a third are under the age of fifteen. Children are the age group most affected here, according to the World Health Organization.
The hospital’s head physician, Odette Nsavyimana, reports that patient volume is rising.
Outside, we are currently erecting tents. “At this point, there are three: one for triage, one to retain suspected cases, and one to receive confirmed cases prior to ward transfers.
It’s challenging, particularly after the babies arrive. I am forced to keep their mothers here as well because they are unable to stay alone. Dr. Nsavyimana speaks through her protective face mask, “Even if they don’t have any symptoms… It is such a tough situation.”.
How concerned ought we to be about mpox?
How does the mpox virus spread?
There is currently a spike in mpox cases in Burundi.
“The figures are causing me concern. We won’t be able to handle it if they keep getting bigger. “.
Separating the infected from the rest of the hospital’s patient population takes a lot of work. Red tape is all over the place, and visitors—who must wear protective gear—are kept physically apart from the afflicted.
The scarcity of resources is concerning medical officials. Blood samples can only be tested for the virus in one lab nationwide; testing kits are few and there are no vaccines available.
Bujumbura’s limited access to necessities like water makes it difficult to maintain hygienic conditions throughout the city. There is a scarcity of flowing water, and lines are forming at public faucets.
The national director of the Centre for Public Health Emergency Operations, Dr. Liliane Nkengurutse, expressed her serious concerns about the upcoming days.
This presents a significant challenge. The single diagnostic location causes a delay in the discovery of new cases.
“Health centres are contacting the laboratory to report suspected cases, but it takes time for lab teams to travel to the suspected cases’ location and collect samples.
Furthermore, the release of the test results takes far longer. To be able to at least advance our response, we require roughly $14 million (£10.7 million), she says.
There are talks that vaccines could reach the Democratic Republic of the Congo as early as next week, but Burundi is not mentioned in any of the reports.
There’s not much public knowledge about mpox.
Bujumbura serves as a hub for cross-border trade and travel, and it is only 20 minutes from the DR Congo border. However, there’s no awareness of the potential dangers of an epidemic.
There is a lot of activity going on in the city. As usual, people continue to buy and sell goods. Close physical contact, including hugs and handshakes, is customary. People are fighting to get onto already-full public transportation vehicles in the long lines at the bus stops.
The seriousness of this problem is not well understood by many people. People continue to socialize even in areas where there have been cases, according to Dr. Nkengurutse.
The bulk of the people the BBC spoke with in Bujumbura were unaware of what mpox was. Furthermore, those who did not know it was spreading throughout their nation.
“Although I’ve heard of the illness, I’ve never met someone who is affected. I’ve only seen it on social media,” remarked one individual.
“It affects young people and babies, I know that.”. I am afraid of it, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stay inside. I have a job to do. Another person uttered, “My family needs to eat.”.
Health professionals are aware that convincing people to take better care of themselves may be difficult in a society where many people are skeptical and facing various financial difficulties.
However, in an effort to stop the virus from spreading, they will keep treating patients, ensuring that they recover, and attempting to find out who they have been in contact with.
