Mysterious mpox Outbreak Grips Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
For decades, Goma, a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been embroiled in a deadly conflict. Now, the city is facing another crisis: a mysterious outbreak of mpox, a disease that has been spreading rapidly in Africa.
The Nyiragongo General Hospital on the outskirts of Goma has seen a significant increase in patients with the disease, with most of them being children under the age of ten. According to Dr. Pierre Olivier Ngadjole, a health advisor for MEDAIR DRC, the organization running the mpox treatment site, 75% of the patients in the clinic are children under ten years old.
The current variant of mpox spreading in the country has worrying characteristics, appearing to be more deadly than its predecessors. Patient Nyota Mukobelwa, who was taken to the hospital after experiencing symptoms of the disease, described the physical discomfort she felt after contracting mpox.
“I felt a headache, fever, muscle pain, and pain in my groin. After spots started to appear on me, I thought it must be an infection,” Mukobelwa said.
The outbreak in Goma is linked to the large number of internally displaced people who are seeking shelter in refugee camps around the city and its outskirts. Due to ongoing conflict in the surrounding regions, the city is struggling to cope with the influx of people.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has been a global concern since 2022, when outbreaks were reported in over 70 countries across the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared an emergency, but the outbreak was largely shut down in rich countries due to vaccines and treatments. In contrast, few doses were made available in Africa, and the disease has continued to spread in the continent.
This year, scientists reported a new form of mpox that is more infectious and may kill up to 10% of infected people in a mining town in eastern Congo. Congo’s numbers have now rocketed, and at least 13 African countries have reported new mpox outbreaks, four of them for the first time.
Furaha Elisabeth, a mother who came to the clinic to get treatment for her child, is among those affected by the outbreak. “We have been shown images on the phone and on TV of people who are suffering from the same illness. I am scared, and I am so worried,” she said.
The situation in Goma and beyond highlights the urgent need for vaccines, treatments, and public health measures to combat the mpox outbreak in Africa.
