The Democratic Republic of Congo has launched its first vaccination campaign against mpox in the eastern city of Goma, targeting health workers and those with existing health issues. The campaign began with vaccines given to hospital staff, with a wider drive set to begin in the east of the country where the outbreak started last year. The vaccine rollout is limited due to few resources, with only 265,000 doses available so far. More doses are expected to arrive from France, Japan, and the United States, including a donation of one million doses from the US.
The World Health Organization has reported over 30,000 suspected and confirmed cases of mpox in the DRC since the start of 2024, with 900 deaths. The virus spreads through close contact with infected individuals or animals, causing flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. A more infectious variant of the virus, clade Ib, has been discovered, leading to a public health emergency declaration by the WHO in August.
Mpox has been detected in 16 African countries so far this year, prompting increased testing efforts. The WHO has approved a PCR test to detect the virus by swabbing skin lesions, with the pledge of 4,500 tests for the DRC. Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba emphasized the importance of limiting the spread of the virus through vaccination, targeting priority groups in the country.
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