After logistical delays, Congolese authorities have begun administering vaccinations against mpox in an effort to control the outbreak.
The DRC received 265,000 doses from the European Union and the United States, with vaccinations starting in the city of Goma and North Kivu province, where healthcare resources are strained due to a surge in cases.
The country has reported approximately 30,000 cases, accounting for over 80% of all mpox cases and 99% of related deaths in Africa this year. More than 850 fatalities from the disease have been documented in the DRC in 2023.
In August, the World Health Organization declared the rise in mpox cases in the DRC, which has spread to several countries, a global health emergency.
Outside of Africa, isolated cases have also been reported in countries including Sweden and Pakistan.
Mpox, caused by a virus in the same family as smallpox, is primarily transmitted from animals to humans and can spread between people through close contact with infected individuals.
The current outbreak involves a new strain, known as clade 1b, which is considered more severe than clade 2, the strain that led to a public health emergency in 2022.
