The UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, issued an urgent appeal on Friday for nearly $59 million to support efforts to halt the rapid spread of mpox in six African countries including Burundi, where youngsters have been impacted the most.

'Children in Burundi are bearing the brunt of the mpox outbreak with alarming rates of infection and health impacts,' said Dr Paul Ngwakum, UNICEF Regional Health Advisor for Eastern and Southern Africa. 'Of the nearly 600 reported cases, two-thirds are children under 19 years old and the situation is escalating really rapidly with more than [a] 40 per cent increase in cases over the last three weeks.'