24/8/2024
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has launched a major €45 million initiative to combat… Monkeypoxfocusing on raising awareness and disseminating medical aid to facilitate the treatment of the injured. However, access to and distribution of vaccines remains the core element of the strategy and is critical to the success of the effort.
Although monkeypox is generally mild, it can sometimes be fatal. Currently, two strains are circulating in the country: the endemic clade 1, and a new clade whose first cases were reported in Europe, including Sweden, as well as in Pakistan.
The virus is spread primarily through direct physical contact, including sexual contact, but is less likely to spread through the air than other diseases such as COVID-19.
Waiting for vaccines
The vaccines are expected to arrive soon, Congolese Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba Mulumba confirmed at a press conference in Kinshasa. “We have completed our discussions with USAID and the US government,” he said. “I hope the vaccines will arrive in Kinshasa by next week,” the minister added.
The arrival of these vaccines will address the disparity highlighted by the Congolese authorities, as the country faces a large outbreak of 60,000 cases, while vaccines are already circulating in Western capitals, and many African countries still lack them.
The eastern region may be Republic of the Congo It is the area most affected due to restrictions on public health workers' access to areas controlled by armed groups.
In Goma, a city in this region, we tried to contact the regional authorities to understand how they are managing the situation, but they chose not to comment.
In the Don Bosco refugee camp in the northern part of the city, we spoke with a union representative who preferred to remain anonymous, and confirmed that preventive measures are being implemented in the camp to limit the spread of the disease. However, the situation remains critical in these areas with limited medical resources.
Epidemic outbreak
The disease is spreading rapidly across the continent, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a global public health emergency due to the rapid spread of the new strain in Africa.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is seeking 3.5 million doses of the vaccine, the Congolese health minister said. Belgium has committed to sending more than 210,000 doses to Kinshasa, while Japan is preparing to send 3 million doses and the United States is still considering sending additional doses.
WHO can play a pivotal role by receiving and distributing vaccines from Japan, which would help address vaccine shortages in affected African countries, said Masano Tsuzuki, head of WHO’s Department of Infectious Disease Prevention.
The Republic of Congo has previously dealt with devastating epidemics such as Ebola, which has killed thousands since 1995. Thanks to experts like Dr. Jean-Jacques Mayembe, the detection and management of Ebola has improved.
Now, the race is on to double vaccine supplies to meet the continent’s needs. Currently, only KM Biologics of Japan and Bavarian Nordic of Denmark produce monkeypox vaccines.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries still lack these vaccines, even though the disease is endemic in their areas.
International support
Last week, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi) announced that it would allocate up to $500 million to provide vaccines to African countries affected by the monkeypox outbreak. The organization offered to make the vaccines available, and the Congolese authorities accepted the offer.
During his press conference in Kinshasa on August 20, the Congolese health minister expressed hope that vaccines would arrive by August 26. Meanwhile, the DRC, especially the most affected areas such as Kinshasa and Goma, remains in a critical health situation, with 6,700 cases already reported there.
The imminent arrival of vaccines, thanks to assistance from Japan and the United States, is expected to help narrow the vaccine access gap between Africa, Europe and North America.
The International Organization for Migration is seeking $18 million to combat monkeypox in Africa. According to their statement, the funds will be used to strengthen response capacities to the needs of migrants, displaced persons and host communities, including support for infection prevention and control measures, especially at borders.
The funding will also help strengthen the skills of national and frontline health workers, and identify at-risk areas to ensure effective disease surveillance and limit cross-border spread.
Through these funds, IOM aims to raise awareness among migrants, IDPs and host communities while enhancing cross-border coordination in response efforts.
IOM Director General Amy Pope stressed the urgent need to act quickly to protect the most vulnerable populations and mitigate the impact of the outbreak on the region.
Monkeypox has affected people in the region for more than a decade. In response to the rapid spread of this new strain, the World Health Organization declared monkeypox a “public health emergency of international concern” on August 14.
So far, more than 15,000 suspected cases have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo alone, with 537 deaths, according to the World Health Organization. Additional cases have been confirmed in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda.
