The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is preparing to receive vaccine doses next week to combat the escalating mpox outbreak, which has claimed over 570 lives and infected more than 16,000 people, the country’s health minister announced on Monday.
Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba disclosed that the virus, which has spread across 17 African countries, is currently showing a mortality rate of approximately 3.4% within the DRC. The alarming rise in cases has prompted concerns about a new, likely more transmissible strain of mpox spreading throughout the region.
“The vaccine is only part of the solution. The primary response must focus on hygiene measures,” Kamba emphasized. “Direct contact is the main driver of the disease’s spread.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared mpox a global health emergency, following outbreaks in multiple African nations. The disease, caused by the monkeypox virus, leads to rashes or lesions that can transmit through close physical contact, including sexual activity.
Minister Kamba highlighted the urgent need for approximately 3.5 million vaccine doses to safeguard the population. He noted that despite existing vaccine hesitancy, the country must proceed with vaccination efforts once the doses arrive.
Young people and children are particularly vulnerable to the virus in the DRC, Kamba added. Individuals who received the smallpox vaccine, which ceased in the 1980s, still retain some protection against mpox, leaving younger generations at risk.
In response to the crisis, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, announced plans to establish a global stockpile of mpox vaccines by 2026. In the interim, the organization will support the outbreak response in the DRC.
Rising Risk in Europe
European health authorities have raised the mpox risk level, warning that more imported cases of the clade I strain, currently spreading in Africa, are “highly likely.” Meanwhile, clade II, the variant responsible for the 2022 outbreak, continues to circulate in Europe.
Hans Kluge, WHO’s regional director for Europe, urged governments to renew their focus on surveillance and diagnostics. He called for solidarity with African nations, emphasizing that while mpox is serious, it is not the new COVID-19.
Sweden recently reported its first case of the new mpox strain linked to the DRC, which is believed to be more transmissible. The Swedish public health agency assured that this imported case does not increase the risk to the general population.
The DRC and global health authorities are on high alert as they work to contain the spread of this emerging health crisis.