Health Workers in Race Against Time as Madagascar Rushes to Contain New Mpox Outbreak

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (Jan. 20, 2026)—Health workers in Madagascar are racing to contain a growing outbreak of the deadly mpox virus, with children and infants among the cases, said Save the Children.

Madagascar confirmed its first documented outbreak of mpox on December 30, 2025, with cases progressively climbing over the past month to about 261 suspected cases and about 94 confirmed cases on January 19, according to Ministry of Public Health. At this stage, 8 confirmed cases are involving children, and 84 suspected children’s cases have been reported, according to UNICEF.

While the epidemic is primarily affecting adults in Madagascar—with a median age of suspected cases at 23—children under the age of 5 are among the most vulnerable,  according to the Madagascar Ministry of Public Health.

In recent outbreaks of mpox in Africa, most notably in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2024, children were particularly impacted and nearly four times more likely to die from mpox than adults.

Malnourished children in areas with poor sanitation and limited healthcare are at an even greater risk of contracting and succumbing to the virus. Children can end up at higher risk due to the close resemblance of some of the signs and symptoms of mpox to other common childhood illnesses—such as scabies and chickenpox—leading to late recognition and treatment and delayed diagnosis and treatment. 

In response to the outbreak, the Ministry of Public Health activated a Public Health Emergency Operations Center to coordinate the national response and has implemented a range of measures including the isolation of confirmed cases, contact tracing and monitoring, active case finding, and strengthening diagnostic capacities.

Save the Children is running awareness sessions for communities and staff in the regions where it operates and is monitoring the developing outbreak.

Tatiana Dasy, Save the Children’s Country Representative in Madagascar, said:

"The emergence of mpox in Madagascar represents a new public health challenge for the country. Although the number of confirmed cases remains limited at this stage, the likely presence of local transmission justifies increased vigilance, a coordinated response by health authorities, and active community involvement to prevent wider spread."

"We are particularly concerned about the potential impact on children, who are already among the confirmed and suspected cases. All over the world, children are disproportionately affected by mpox, and it is our responsibility to ensure their protection. Awareness and prompt response are critical steps towards preventing the spread of mpox and safeguarding the health and well-being of our children, and we stand ready to work with health authorities and communities to stem this outbreak before it gets worse."

Along with this latest disease outbreak, the humanitarian situation for Madagascar is rapidly deteriorating, with a combination of cyclones, drought, crop pests, locust attacks, and disease outbreaks creating a multi-layered humanitarian crisis. Food insecurity in the Grand Sud is worsening due to successive shocks such as drought, floods, and locust infestations, and acute malnutrition is increasing.

Save the Children has been working in Madagascar since 2016 with programs on child protection, education, drought anticipatory action, livelihoods, and combating child labor.
 

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