Mpox crisis: WHO pushes for scaling up mpox vaccine production as death toll in DRC nears 550
Mpox in DRC
An outbreak of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has claimed more than 500 lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as per reports.
The virus, which is rapidly spreading to neighbouring countries, has prompted fears of a global health crisis, even as over seven million displaced high-risk people in the DRC await vaccine.
Mpox deaths in DRC
According to a China Central Television report citing Health Minister Roger Kamba, since the beginning of 2024, the DRC has reported 15,664 suspected cases and 548 deaths.
The country has been grappling with the ongoing outbreak since late 2022, but the emergence of a more lethal variant, Clade 1b — which has a mortality rate of 3.6 per cent — has exacerbated the situation.
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Challenges in DRC displacement camps
In DRC, as per AFP, the situation is particularly dire in makeshift camps. These camps, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, house at least 7.3 million internally displaced people, and are hence overcrowded. These conditions heighten the risk of transmission.
Contagious people continue to stay in close quarters, despite the risks, as health workers struggle to enforce prevention measures.
"My son was hospitalised here for mpox, and my daughter was looking after him. After they got out on a Sunday, my daughter began showing the same symptoms by Wednesday," said Deogracias Mahombi Sekabanza, a health worker from Goma.
Furaha Makambo, a mother of three, shared her fears from a nearby tent where her children sleep together, making it impossible to prevent cross-infection. "We are scared, this disease needs to be eradicated so that it stops reaching the displaced because it can exterminate us," she said while speaking to AFP.
Global health emergency and vaccine urgency
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday (August 14) declared the mpox surge a public health emergency of international concern — its highest alert level as the virus spreads beyond the DRC. Already, 12 African countries and nations outside Africa, like Pakistan andSweden, have reportedcases.
The WHO on Friday (August 16) urged vaccine manufacturers to increase production of mpox vaccines.
"We do need the manufacturers to really scale up so that we've got access to many, many more vaccines," said WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris, while talking to reporters.
The international health agency has also called on countries to donate stockpiles to those affected by the outbreak.
The charity, Doctors Without Borders, also said that countries with vaccine stockpiles but no outbreaks "must donate as many doses as possible" to affected countries in Africa.
(With inputs from agencies)
