E start as small rash for Joshua chest — e no too serious, na wetin im mama, Monique Baloji, think.

At first, Monique think say na allergic reaction, but panic catch her when di three-year-old body begin full wit painful sores.

Di pikin dey run temperature, dey cry steady, and e no gree chop.

“I no sabi wetin mpox be before,” Monique, wey come from South Kivu for Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), tok give TRT Afrika about her pikin diagnosis. “By di time we reach hospital, my pikin don weak well well. When doctor talk say na mpox, e be like say my world don scatter.”

For Africa, mpox don waka from one small sickness wey dey affect some areas to bigger wahala, dey spread go new places and dey leave families dey struggle wit di painful and sometimes disfiguring effects.

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and World Health Organisation (WHO) don update dia Continental Response Plan, dey try control di outbreaks, expand vaccination, and plan long-term health strategies.

Di sickness dey historically come from infected animals, but recent outbreaks for Africa don show say human-to-human transmission don increase. Di disease dey cause fever, swollen lymph nodes, and skin sores wey fit leave scars.

For 2022, one variant wey dem call “clade IIb” begin spread worldwide, mostly through sexual contact. By di end of 2023, another more aggressive strain, “clade lb,” show face, dey spread not only through sexual contact but also inside households.

For August last year, Africa CDC declare “Public Health Emergency of Continental Security” after di new strain show for DRC and begin spread go neighbouring countries.

Since dat time, 28 countries worldwide don report cases, but Africa dey carry di heaviest burden of di disease wey fit even kill person.

Outside Africa, most cases dey related to travel. But for di continent, local transmission don increase, even reach countries like Zambia and Tanzania wey never report mpox cases before.

For Nairobi, one young mama catch mpox from her husband, wey be truck driver wey dey travel across East Africa.

“At first, neighbours dey avoid us. Dem think say we don carry curse. Even family stop to visit,” di 32-year-old Kenyan tok give TRT Afrika.

Frank Lubega, one Ugandan university student, still dey carry di physical and emotional scars of mpox.

“For weeks, I no fit look mirror,” e tok. “Di worst part no be di pain – na how people dey look me.”

Dr Fanuel Odongo, wey be public health official for Kenya, blame misinformation for di mpox wahala wey dey grow.

“People dey hide dia symptoms because dem dey fear say people go avoid dem. But dis one dey only help di virus spread,” e warn.

For Zambia Copperbelt Province, Vanessa Musonda dey take care of her husband wey don catch di sickness, while she dey try protect dia children.

“We dey sleep for different rooms, but I dey fear say my pikin fit still catch am,” she tok give TRT Afrika. “Vaccine no dey here yet. Na prayer we dey rely on.”

Even though vaccination campaigns don dey go on, wit over 650,000 doses don dey give for six African countries (90% for DRC), plenty work still dey to do – and e need to fast.

Dr Jean Kaseya, wey dey frontline for healthcare work for DRC Goma, describe di fight against mpox as more than just public health emergency.

“We dey vaccinate as fast as we fit, but di stigma wey dey follow mpox for eastern DRC dey cut off whole communities. People dey fear, and some still dey believe say mpox na curse,” e tok.

On di positive side, laboratory capacity for DRC don increase, wit 23 testing sites now dey operational — up from just two for 2023.

Di sustainability go depend on how quick authorities fit close di funding gaps wey dey threaten progress, as dem still need more than $220 million to maintain di response.

As Africa CDC and WHO dey push forward wit dia updated strategy against mpox, families like Monique own dey wait for future wey di disease no go dey threaten dia pikin health again.

After Joshua battle wit mpox, Monique dey particularly scared. Weeks for isolation and treatment don help di pikin recover, but di scars still dey – both for body and mind.

“No pikin suppose go through dis kind thing,” she tok as she carry her son. “We need help now, and our leaders gatz act fast to bring more vaccines, more awareness.”