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“I pray for all those infected, and especially for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who are affected by this disease, and I express my closeness to the local Churches most affected by this disease,” the pope said in his weekly prayer.
Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the rapid spread of the new strain in Africa a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the highest level of alert the WHO can issue.
“I call on governments and private industry to share technologies and affordable treatments so that no one lacks tailored health care,” the pope added.
Although smallpox has been known for decades, there has been a recent increase in cases of a new strain that is more deadly and contagious.
According to the World Health Organization, the latest strain of smallpox kills about 3.6% of cases, with children at greater risk.
The Democratic Republic of Congo currently has the highest number of smallpox cases, with the virus killing more than 570 people this year.
In July, outbreaks were reported in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, and last week Sweden registered the first case of the newest form of smallpox in Europe.
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