KINSHASA – The ongoing mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has resulted in over 17,801 suspected cases and 610 deaths, according to DRC Health Minister Roger Kamba. He urged the public to follow protective measures, particularly with the upcoming school year, and to get vaccinated once vaccines are available.
Most suspected cases have been reported in conflict-affected provinces that host the majority of the country’s 7.3 million internally displaced people, further exacerbating an already dire situation caused by decades of conflict, according to a statement from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a Global Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for mpox, aimed at ending human-to-human transmission through coordinated efforts at the global, regional, and national levels. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed optimism, stating that mpox outbreaks in the DRC and neighboring countries can be controlled and eventually stopped.
