The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has officially launched its vaccination drive against mpox, a viral disease that has hit the country hard, particularly in its eastern regions. The campaign kicked off in Goma on Saturday, following a short delay caused by logistical challenges in delivering vaccines to various parts of the vast, infrastructure-strained nation.
The first phase of the vaccination effort focuses on healthcare workers, with broader vaccination for the general population in the east of the country set to begin on Monday. Jeannine Muhavi, a frontline doctor, was among the first to receive the vaccine. She expressed the importance of protecting herself given her constant exposure to patients affected by the virus: “As a doctor, I’m on the front line and in constant contact with those who are sick. I want to protect myself.”
Health officials and non-governmental organizations have been working together to set up vaccination sites, with large tents ready to administer doses. Banners with the simple yet urgent message, “mpox exists,” were displayed to raise public awareness about the virus and the importance of the campaign.
Since the beginning of 2024, the DRC has recorded more than 30,000 cases of mpox, and tragically, nearly 1,000 people have lost their lives, according to Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba. Seventy percent of these deaths were among children under the age of five, underscoring the severity of the outbreak. Despite these alarming numbers, the vaccination campaign is not intended to reach the entire population immediately. “This will not be a mass vaccination campaign… we are targeting those most at risk,” said Kamba. These priority groups include individuals with pre-existing health conditions and medical professionals who are on the front lines.
To date, the DRC has received 265,000 vaccine doses, largely through donations from the United States and European Union. However, millions more doses are still expected from France, Japan, and the United States to adequately respond to the epidemic. The current vaccine, produced by Bavarian Nordic, is approved only for adults, and talks are ongoing to secure additional doses from Japan that can be administered to both adults and children. Japan has pledged to provide three million doses to the DRC, while the U.S. government has committed to donating one million doses across African countries, alongside $500 million in aid to combat mpox.
The disease, previously known as monkeypox, was first discovered in 1958 among research monkeys in Denmark. It was identified in humans in 1970 in what is now the DRC. Mpox is known to cause a range of symptoms, including painful rashes, fever, and lethargy, with severe cases leading to death, especially in vulnerable populations such as young children.
Mpox made international headlines in 2022 when a strain of the virus, clade 2b, spread globally, primarily affecting gay and bisexual men. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in July 2022, reflecting the gravity of the outbreak. While mpox continues to circulate in 16 African countries, including the DRC, efforts to combat the virus are ramping up. The WHO recently approved the first diagnostic test for mpox, allowing for early detection through swabs of human lesions, and has committed to supplying approximately 4,500 tests to the DRC, although an exact arrival date has not been confirmed.
As the DRC battles this ongoing epidemic, health authorities remain focused on vaccinating those at the highest risk and securing the additional supplies needed to contain the virus.
