During the February 7th council of ministers, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reported a drop in suspected Mpox cases nationwide, from 2,707 to 1,842 in the fourth week of the outbreak. "The trend indicates that the measures implemented to combat this epidemic are beginning to produce positive effects," the council’s minutes note.
The U.S. significantly helped the DRC tackle the crisis. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) provided 50,000 doses of the Mpox vaccine and last year, the U.S. provided the African country $10 million to better handle the health situation.
In late January, Japan also contributed 50,000 doses of the LC16 vaccine and bifurcated needles. This was Japan’s first shipment out of three million doses requested by the DRC.
On February 11, the Ministry of Health announced that Canada would donate 200,000 doses of vaccine next week, facilitated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. These vaccines will be distributed according to the Access and Allocation Mechanism established by Gavi, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other partners.
"The DRC expresses its gratitude to the Government of Canada and Gavi for their partnership in providing 200,000 doses of Mpox vaccine. This demonstrates international solidarity in the fight against this epidemic," said DRC Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba.
Despite these efforts, concerns remain about managing the health crisis amid ongoing conflict in eastern DRC. "Although reported cases have stabilized, the deteriorating security situation has led many patients to leave treatment centers, increasing transmission risks," warned WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus last week.
In August 2024, WHO declared Mpox a public health emergency of global concern. The African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention classified it as a threat to regional health security. By November, more than 629 deaths had been reported in the DRC due to the outbreak.
Olivier de Souza
