The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), epicenter of the pox epidemic, will begin the second phase of vaccination, after having vaccinated around 51,000 people, Congolese Minister of Health Roger Kamba announced Wednesday evening.
KINSHASA, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) — The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), epicenter of the mpox epidemic, will begin the second phase of vaccination, after having vaccinated around 51,000 people, the Congolese Minister of Health announced Wednesday evening. Cheers Roger Kamba.
The DRC, which has recorded more than 1,100 deaths due to mpox since the start of 2024, has completed its “planned first phase” of vaccination and intends to begin the second. “Which makes more than 51,000 people vaccinated and these people must now have the second dose (…) We will also generalize with the second phase”, indicated the minister during a press briefing, without specifying the date for this new phase of vaccination.
According to a report published Tuesday by the Congolese Ministry of Health, the country has reported 42,912 suspected cases since the start of this year, including 9,456 confirmed and 1,132 deaths. The central African country faces a higher mortality rate due to late diagnosis and difficult access to treatment in several areas, according to a recent WHO report.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared in mid-August that mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, constituted a public health emergency of international concern, sounding the alarm about the potential increased transmission of disease on a global scale.
The WHO statement comes after the Africa CDC (Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) deemed the ongoing mpox outbreak a public health emergency for the continent. According to the African Union health agency, the number of new cases of mpox reported in 2024 represents an increase of 160% compared to the same period in 2023.
