The Democratic Republic of Congo launched a vaccination campaign against mpox on Sunday, following delays due to logistical challenges. The initiative aims to curb an outbreak that has made the country the epicenter of the disease in Africa.
Health officials began administering 265,000 vaccine doses, donated by the European Union and the United States, in Goma and North Kivu province, where healthcare resources have been strained by the surge in cases.
“This vaccination campaign is crucial in our fight against mpox,” said Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe, head of Congo’s National Institute for Biomedical Research. “We’re targeting the most affected areas to halt the spread of this new, more serious strain.”
The DRC has recorded approximately 30,000 mpox cases, accounting for over 80% of all cases and 99% of deaths reported on the African continent this year. More than 850 fatalities have been reported in the country in 2023 alone.
In August, the World Health Organization declared the surge in DRC’s mpox cases a global health emergency. The outbreak involves a new strain, clade 1b, which is considered more severe than the clade 2 strain that triggered a public health emergency in 2022.
“The emergence of clade 1b presents new challenges in containing mpox,” said WHO regional director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti. “Vaccination is a critical tool in our response strategy.”
Mpox, caused by a virus in the same family as smallpox, is transmitted through close contact with infected individuals. While primarily affecting the DR Congo, cases have also been reported in countries including Sweden and Pakistan.
As the vaccination campaign progresses, health officials remain vigilant, monitoring its effectiveness against the new strain and working to overcome logistical hurdles in reaching remote areas of the vast country.
