The Democratic Republic of Congo has started its first vaccination campaign against mpox in the city of Goma, targeting health workers and those with existing health issues. The campaign comes as the country continues to battle an outbreak that has seen over 30,000 cases and 900 deaths since the beginning of 2024. The World Health Organization has declared mpox a public health emergency and a new, more infectious variant has been discovered. The DRC Ministry of Public Health has warned that the vaccine campaign will be limited due to scarce resources, with only 265,000 doses available so far. Additional doses are expected to arrive from France, Japan, and the United States, with the US planning to donate one million doses to African nations. The vaccine rollout is seen as an important step in reducing the spread of the virus and ensuring the safety of families and communities. Mpox can be transmitted through close contact with an infected person or animal, causing flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body. The WHO has approved a PCR test to detect mpox by swabbing skin lesions, and Kamba said the DRC will receive about 4,500 tests from the organization. Mpox has been detected in 16 African countries this year, highlighting the need for continued efforts to combat the disease.
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