By A remote gold mining town in eastern Congo has become the epicenter of a growing mpox outbreak, with health officials struggling to contain a new strain of the virus that has infected over 6,000 people in South Kivu province.
Kamituga, a bustling town of about 300,000 residents, has reported nearly 1,000 mpox cases and eight deaths since the outbreak began a year ago. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the situation a global health emergency.
The new strain is spreading primarily through skin-to-skin contact, affecting children, pregnant women, and other vulnerable groups. Local health officials report that cases are rising sharply, with weekly suspected cases in South Kivu increasing from 12 in January to 600 in August.
Divine Wisoba, 21, lost her one-month-old daughter Maombi Katengey to mpox in August. “When she was born, it was as if God had answered our prayers — we wanted a girl,” Wisoba said. “But our biggest joy was transformed into devastation.” Wisoba herself contracted mpox but initially mistook it for a common sexually transmitted infection.
Dr. Dally Muamba, program coordinator for ALIMA, one of the few aid groups working on mpox in Kamituga, warned of potential economic impacts if the outbreak continues unchecked. “There will be an impact on the economy, people will stop coming to the area as the epidemic takes its toll,” Muamba said.
Health experts emphasize the urgent need for vaccines, which have yet to arrive in Kamituga despite it being a priority city in South Kivu. The Congolese government has budgeted over $190 million for its initial mpox response, including the purchase of 3 million vaccine doses, but only 250,000 doses have arrived in the country so far.
Local officials struggle to reach areas beyond Kamituga to track cases and inform residents. Kasindi Mwenyelwata, a 42-year-old community leader, goes door-to-door describing mpox symptoms but lacks resources for effective educational materials.
The outbreak has particularly affected pregnant women, with nearly half of the 32 infected since January losing their babies through miscarriage or stillbirth. Alice Neema, one such victim, miscarried after being diagnosed with mpox, unable to seek timely medical help due to financial constraints.
As the new strain continues to spread, health workers are racing against time to understand its characteristics and develop effective containment strategies. Dr. Steven Bilembo of Kamituga’s general hospital noted the uncertainty surrounding the virus’s transmission and duration in the body.
Source: apnews.com
