The Democratic Republic of Congo began vaccinating against mpox on Saturday, almost two months after the World Health Organisation declared the disease outbreak a global emergency. The vaccination campaign, made possible by a donated 265,000 doses from the European Union and the US, kicked off in the eastern city of Goma in North Kivu province. This province has been at the epicentre of the outbreak, with hospitals and health workers overstretched in their efforts to contain the disease.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has been the hardest hit by the mpox outbreak, accounting for over 80% of all cases and 99% of all deaths reported in Africa this year. The country has recorded over 30,000 suspected cases and 859 deaths, with all 26 provinces affected. While the majority of infections and deaths have been in children under the age of 15, the vaccine doses being administered are only meant for adults and will be given to at-risk populations and frontline workers.
According to the country’s health minister, Roger Kamba, at least three million doses of the vaccine approved for use in children are expected from Japan in the coming days. However, access to vaccines remains a challenge in Africa, where only 5.9 million doses have been secured for the continent of 1.4 billion people. The shortage of vaccines has been exacerbated by the fact that the mpox vaccine is not yet widely available and that supply chains have been disrupted.
The mpox vaccine rollout comes as the country grapples with one of the world’s biggest humanitarian crises caused by armed violence. The conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, creating an environment ripe for the spread of the disease. The health minister’s chief of staff, Muboyayi ChikayaI, emphasized the importance of vaccinating targeted personnel, stating that “strategies have been put in place by the services in order to vaccinate all targeted personnel.”
Mpox Vaccine Starts in Congo After Global Emergency Declared (Image via Getty)
The vaccination drive was attended by Dr. Jean Bruno Kibunda, the WHO representative, who warned that North Kivu province is at risk of a major outbreak due to the “promiscuity observed in the camps” for displaced people. Health workers who have been struggling to manage the outbreak also welcomed the news of the vaccination campaign. Dr. Musole Mulambamunva Robert, the medical director of Kavumu Hospital, one of the mpox treatment centres, expressed relief and emphasized the importance of widespread vaccination in stopping the spread of the disease.
The outbreak of mpox, also known as monkeypox, has been spreading primarily through sexual transmission, as well as close contact among children, pregnant women, and other vulnerable groups. In Africa, the outbreak has been particularly severe, with over 34,000 suspected cases and 866 deaths recorded across 16 countries this year, representing a 200% increase compared to the same period last year.
The vaccination campaign is a step towards controlling the outbreak, but it is crucial that it is accompanied by increased funding and efforts to strengthen healthcare infrastructure in countries affected by the outbreak.
