Congolese health officials launched their first mpox vaccination campaign on Saturday, marking a pivotal step in efforts to contain an outbreak that has spread from its epicenter in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to other African nations this year.
A ceremony was held at a hospital in the eastern city of Goma, where health workers were first in line to receive the vaccine doses. The initiative symbolizes hope and proactive measures in the battle against the virus.
The Health Ministry warned on Friday that the campaign's scope would be small due to limited resources. At the moment, 265,000 vaccine doses are available, with more expected to arrive in the near future.
The commencement of vaccinations begins to address a significant inequity that left African countries without access to the two shots used to fight a 2022 global mpox outbreak, while they were widely available in Europe and the U.S.
\"The rollout of the vaccine marks an important step in limiting the spread of the virus and ensuring the safety of families and communities,\" said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa.
Mpox, which can spread through close contact, typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body. While usually mild, it can be fatal in rare cases.
In August, the WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after a new variant was identified.
Since the start of 2024, Congo has reported more than 30,000 suspected and confirmed cases and 990 deaths—accounting for 90 percent of the cases reported from Africa so far this year, according to the WHO.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com