Mpox Crisis Escalates in Democratic Republic of Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the epicenters of the global Mpox health crisis. The province of North-Kivu is particularly hard hit, with millions of displaced civilians living in makeshift shelters, creating a breeding ground for the disease.

Volunteers from the Red Cross and other NGOs have stepped up efforts in Nyiragongo, near the provincial capital, to raise awareness among the internally displaced who are particularly vulnerable. They wear protective equipment and decontaminate shelters to prevent the spread of the virus.

“We left our homes because of war, now a disease will kill us”
Says Suzanne, a mother of three who has been living in the Don Bosco camp for two years. The camp, one of the world’s largest displacement camps, recorded five cases of Mpox over the weekend of August 17th and 18th.

Fear is palpable among the camp’s residents, many of whom have fled their homes due to conflict. “We’ve been told that this Mpox epidemic has already spread to other displacement camps. It is deadly and people die rapidly, so we are fearful. If it spreads to here, many of us will die because this camp is so crowded,” Suzanne explains.

The Muningi isolation center, located about 10 kilometers from the provincial capital Goma, records new mpox cases every day. Health professionals are struggling to cope with the influx of patients.

According to the DRC’s Health ministry, more than 17,000 suspected or confirmed cases of Mpox have been recorded in the country since the outbreak of the epidemics. Over 570 people have died.

The government is supposed to start dispatching vaccines this week, with the United States committing to send 50,000 doses and Japan pledging 3.5 million doses. However, as of August 23rd, no shipment had arrived in the DRC.

As the Mpox crisis worsens, residents like Suzanne are calling on the government to take urgent measures to avoid the worst-case scenario. “I would like the government to come to our aid. We have fled our homes because of the war, now it is a disease that will kill us,” she urges.

READ ALSO: DRC to receive Mpox vaccines next week