Children account for more than half of the mpox cases reported in Guinea-Bissau, local health authorities have said, nearly two months after the west African nation declared an epidemic.
Guinea-Bissau announced a national mpox outbreak on 4 July, a little more than a week after a 27-year-old woman was confirmed as the country’s first case. Since then, officials have recorded seven confirmed infections and 46 suspected cases. Children make up half of those affected, including 16 patients under the age of four.
Unicef warned in a statement on Thursday that Guinea-Bissau’s fragile health surveillance systems mean the virus is likely spreading without being detected, potentially putting many more children in danger.
Sandra Martins, Unicef’s deputy representative in Guinea-Bissau, said: “This is the first time mpox cases have been reported in Guinea-Bissau, making even a small outbreak a major public health event.”
Mpox is a contagious viral disease that can spread through close physical contact. Since January 2024, tens of thousands of mpox cases have been recorded across east, central and west Africa, with more than 2,000 deaths linked to the disease.
Health workers say the Clade variants identified are consistent with viruses already circulating in neighbouring countries, underscoring the continued risk of cross-border transmission in the region. Most confirmed cases have been found in the Bissau autonomous sector, home to the capital, while one case has been reported in nearby Biombo. No deaths have been recorded so far.
Dr Magda Robalo, a former health minister who led Guinea-Bissau’s Covid-19 response, said the country must urgently strengthen disease surveillance and bolster frontline health capacity to close the “biggest gaps in the health system right now”.
“Even though the numbers are small, new cases have appeared intermittently over several weeks, which means transmission is ongoing,” said Robalo, who is also co-founder of the Institute for Global Health and Development and a former director of communicable diseases for the World Health Organization.
The outbreak comes as the country grapples with infrastructure challenges and the aftermath of the suspension of last November’s presidential election by the military, which remains in power. There was no electricity throughout Thursday in Bissau for instance because of petrol scarcity since the weekend.
Many public health laboratories in the region lack equipment to deal with epidemics but have institutional knowledge from handling other crises.
In Guinea-Bissau, that is no different but there is also a sense of urgency, with primary schools scheduled to reopen across the country in September. After the outbreak was declared, community health workers immediately began a door-to-door public awareness campaign with megaphones and translated leaflets, supported by the health ministry and international agencies.
These grassroots initiatives are seen as vital for building public trust in the public health sector. Earlier this year, the country suspended a controversial US-funded trial on hepatitis B vaccinations for newborns, citing ethical concerns and procedural flaws. The decision was lauded by many across the continent and has highlighted sensitivities around emergency health interventions.
The headline of this article was amended on 25 August 2026 to refer to “suspected” mpox cases.
