The Democratic Republic of Congo has launched its first vaccination campaign against mpox in the eastern city of Goma, targeting priority groups such as health workers and those with existing health issues. The country, which has reported over 30,000 cases and 900 deaths since the start of 2024, faces resource constraints with only 265,000 doses available for the campaign. Additional doses are expected to arrive from France, Japan and the United States, with President Joe Biden pledging to donate one million doses to African nations. Mpox, a virus that causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, has been detected in 16 African countries this year. The World Health Organization declared mpox a public health emergency in August after the discovery of a new, more infectious variant. The WHO has approved a PCR test to detect mpox by swabbing skin lesions, with 4,500 tests pledged for the DRC. Despite limited resources, the vaccination campaign is seen as an important step in limiting the spread of the virus and ensuring the safety of families and communities in the region.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com
Health News: DRC initiates inaugural MPOX vaccination campaign to combat outbreak
