🇨🇩 Congo took a major step in fighting the mpox outbreak by launching its first-ever vaccination campaign on Saturday. The initiative aims to curb the spread of the virus, which has expanded from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to other parts of Africa this year. 🌍
The vaccination rollout kicked off with a ceremony held at a hospital in Goma, a key city in the eastern region. Local health workers were the first to receive the available vaccine doses, showcasing their dedication to protecting communities.
Despite the excitement, Congolese health officials warned that the campaign’s reach will initially be limited due to resource constraints. Currently, 265,000 vaccine doses are on hand, with more expected to arrive as the effort scales up.
🩺 This campaign addresses a significant inequity, as African nations struggled to access mpox vaccines during the 2022 global outbreak, while supplies were plentiful in Europe and the U.S. \"The rollout of the vaccine marks an important step in limiting the spread of the virus and ensuring the safety of families and communities,\" said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
Mpox spreads through close contact and typically causes mild flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, though it can be fatal in rare cases. 🚑 Since the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern in August due to a new variant, Congo has reported over 30,000 suspected and confirmed cases and 990 deaths in 2024 alone, representing 90% of Africa’s reported cases this year.
The vaccination campaign in Congo is a beacon of hope in the ongoing fight against mpox, aiming to protect vulnerable populations and contain the virus's spread across the continent.
