Eric Mbonigaba recovered from mpox after four weeks in hospital but the Burundian motorcycle taxi driver says he has since fallen victim to stigma surrounding the disease and risks losing his home and his livelihood.
One of the first people to be diagnosed with mpox in Burundi, his problems underline the challenges facing Africa's second-worst affected country in its fight against the disease.
The father of boys aged three and seven was discharged from the hospital last month and returned to his home in Burundi's financial capital Bujumbura, only to be told by his landlady that he must leave.
"She refused to take my rent. I can be chased out of the house at any time and I don't have anywhere to accommodate my family," Mbonigaba, 31, told Reuters.
His facial scars -- a legacy of the pus-filled lesions caused by mpox -- tend to scare away customers, he said. Many refuse even to greet him.
His is not an isolated case.
A fellow patient was also facing an eviction threat from his landlord, Mbonigaba said.
A U.N. health official told Reuters last month that Burundi would be able to stop the outbreak within weeks if it could harness enough resources and tackle the stigma associated with mpox.
"If people are scared and don't want to come forth, it will take a long time," said Paul Ngwakum, Regional Health Adviser for Eastern and Southern Africa for the U.N. Children's agency (UNICEF).
Burundi has recorded nearly 600 cases since July 25.
Mbonigaba said some of his friends chose to buy medicines and treat their symptoms in secret at home, flouting government rules that require mpox patients to visit a hospital for free treatment.
The government has not publicly spoken about the impact of stigma on the fight against mpox. The Ministry of Health's spokesman said he would "conduct a probe" into the issue.
The disease is suspected to have killed more than 800 people in Africa this year, most of them in the Democratic Republic of Congo but none in Burundi, according to the World Health Organization.
Latest Stories
-
Omane Boamah: 10 reasons EC must not print ballot papers with certified voter’s register
5 mins -
NCA launches ECOWAS ‘Free Roaming Initiative’ among Ghana, Benin and Togo
14 mins -
Akufo-Addo orders more troops to fight galamsey
16 mins -
EC Director assures accessibility for PWDs on election day
17 mins -
Over 2000 people die of breast cancer every year in Ghana – Report
18 mins -
Gov’t’s galamsey response falls short; Red Band Campaign begins today – Ghana Coalition
20 mins -
Ghana launches mass vaccination plan for vaccine-preventable diseases
22 mins -
Kufuor: Democracy Hub protesters who broke the law must be punished
24 mins -
CLOGSAG raises concerns over migration of members to TVET Service
26 mins -
Ghanaians must safeguard integrity of electoral register – IFES
28 mins -
Ministry of Information holds townhall meeting in Tamale
30 mins -
Absa Bank Ghana celebrates Customer Service Week with month-long ‘Wow October’ initiative
36 mins -
Edward Boateng urges African students abroad to lead continent’s transformation
41 mins -
Election 2024: West African Elders Forum hold talks with Bawumia
43 mins -
Accra Technical University receives $160k grant to scale up innovative projects
45 mins