Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, became a major focus when it lapped the globe in 2022, predominantly in gay and bisexual men. But while that epidemic was caused by clade 2, the most dangerous form of mpox has been endemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo for decades, known as clade 1.
Yet early last year the situation worsened dramatically. Tens of thousands of people have since been infected, while a concerning mutant variant, clade 1b, has emerged in the country’s east.
As this variant began to sweep across international borders, the World Health Organization (WHO) last month declared a global health crisis – its highest health alert – and clade 1b has since been spotted as far afield as Thailand and Sweden.
‘Not just an African issue’
“When we say, ‘we need to stop this outbreak now’, it’s because we don’t know if we can get another mutation,” Dr Kaseya warned. “Let us remind each other, it’s not just an ‘African issue’ as some newspapers quoted, it’s a global issue. Countries are reporting cases across the world.”
But in much of the DRC, healthcare workers on the frontline are still facing a chronic shortage of resources to respond – in some places, even soap and antiseptic wipes are unavailable.
The outbreak has also highlighted profound inequalities in access to vaccines. Although ‘at risk’ individuals can walk into a clinic in London and access an mpox shot, not a single vaccine has yet been rolled out inside the DRC.
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