The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria will help the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) fight mpox with $9.5 million in funding. The Global Fund announced the support on September 18. 

The facility aligns with the Congolese government's National Preparedness and Response Plan and covers nearly 20% of the $49 million needed for the plan. Mostly, the monies will be directed to six provinces heavily impacted by the outbreak and Kinshasa, the capital. 

This approach seeks to ensure the optimal use and impact of the funds. In detail,  the strategy includes actions like improving disease surveillance systems, enhancing laboratory and diagnostic capabilities, and implementing infection prevention measures, with a strong emphasis on community mobilization.

"Stopping the spread of the disease requires a strong network of trusted community health workers, health educators, and other local stakeholders," said Global Fund Executive Director Peter Sands, highlighting the importance of local health workers in this effort.

For his part, Congolese Health and Social Welfare Minister Roger Kamba said: "Our partnership with the Global Fund and other health partners has demonstrated its ability to contain infectious diseases... We are determined to continue this work and respond strongly to mpox. The fight against the current mpox epidemic is a top priority for our ministry, and we are focusing on strengthening the community response."

The Global Fund and the DRC are long-standing partners. Since 2003, the Fund has invested nearly $3.2 billion in the Central African country, helping it fight various infectious diseases.

The DRC has been fighting mpox for several months. From January to now, around 22,000 people have been infected. More than 716 lost their lives, according to the National Public Health Institute. 

Last week, the DRC received 10 tonnes of medical supplies from the World Health Organization (WHO), adding to 265,000 vaccine doses secured prior. After the September 13 Council of Ministers, the government reported: "The process of acquiring 3 million doses of children's vaccines is sufficiently advanced with the Japanese. A further 100,000 doses of vaccine are expected from France". 

Since January, nearly 22,000 people have been affected by the mpox epidemic in the DRC, resulting in over 716 deaths, according to data from the National Institute of Public Health. The government announced last week that it would run a vaccination campaign from October 2 to 11, 2024.

Georges Auréole Bamba