Congo tackles mpox with vaccination campaign

Congolese health officials launched their first mpox vaccination campaign on Saturday to contain an outbreak spreading across Africa.

The vaccination effort began with a ceremony in Goma, where healthcare workers were first to receive the vaccine doses.

Despite the campaign’s significance, the Health Ministry warned of limited resources, with only 265,000 vaccine doses currently available.

This vaccination marks a crucial step in addressing inequities, as African nations previously lacked access to mpox vaccines used during a 2022 global outbreak.

World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Director Matshidiso Moeti emphasized that the rollout would help limit the virus’s spread and protect communities.

Mpox, which spreads through close contact, typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, though it is rarely fatal.

In August, the WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after identifying a new variant of the virus.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has reported over 30,000 suspected and confirmed cases and nearly 1,000 deaths in 2024 alone, accounting for 90% of Africa’s mpox cases this year.

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