The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is facing multiple health emergencies as both mpox and a new, unexplained illness emerge, significantly impacting the communities. The DRC is receiving 3 million doses of mpox vaccines from Japan, aimed primarily at protecting young children amid rising cases of the disease.
Recently, health authorities reported over 10,533 confirmed cases of mpox and more than 1,000 deaths related to the outbreak. The situation has spurred the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the mpox outbreak a global public health emergency. Surprisingly, about 44% of these mpox cases are found among children under 15 years old, making vaccine access even more urgent.
According to Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the Japanese vaccine is especially significant as it allows vaccinations for children aged zero to five. The vaccine is administered using a bifurcated needle, which pricks the skin multiple times to administer the immune response.
The crisis worsens as DRC also deals with another serious illness, referred to as “Disease X,” which has seen more than 500 cases reported, predominantly among children. The mysterious illness has taken the lives of 143 individuals, mainly children, causing extensive concerns among local health workers and global health organizations.
Health professionals describe the unidentified illness as flu-like, presenting symptoms such as high fever, coughing, and runny noses. With significant overlaps between these symptoms and common tropical diseases, pinpointing the exact cause has proven challenging. WHO officials have acknowledged the potential for multiple illnesses contributing to the outbreak.
Dr. Roger Kamba, the DRC Minister of Health, emphasized the urgent need for more testing and diagnostics to fully understand the situation. Dispatching medical teams to remote areas has been hindered by logistical issues, including poor road conditions during the rainy season.
Many residents fear the potential for the new illness to spread beyond its current locale, especially since the affected areas are already grappling with high levels of malnutrition. Consequently, health workers are calling for heightened epidemiological surveillance measures to contain this latest outbreak.
Adding to the urgency, local health workers highlight the challenges of treating patients suffering from both mpox and the new illness due to inadequate resources. Medical facilities are ill-equipped to handle the mounting number of cases—a reality underscored by mentions of limited medicine supplies and infrastructural challenges.
While the arrival of the mpox vaccine from Japan brings hope, it is accompanied by the broader predicament of health emergencies and the need for stringent monitoring and prompt medical intervention across all health zones affected.
With the Japanese delegation set to arrive and begin training local health workers, there remains cautious optimism. The cooperation between the DRC and international health organizations is seen as pivotal for combating the dual health crises and protecting the most vulnerable populations.