By KINSHASA, DRC – The Democratic Republic of Congo has been unable to start an mpox vaccination campaign in the capital Kinshasa due to a shortage of doses, the country’s mpox response leader said, as cases continue to rise nationwide, especially among children.
The World Health Organization declared mpox a global health emergency in mid-August, after a new strain began spreading from Congo to neighboring countries. However, donors have been slow to translate their promises into money and vaccine supplies, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Mpox (previously monkeypox) virus particles, illustration. Picture: Science Photo Library via AFP.
Cris Kacita, the head of operations for Congo’s mpox control program, said on Tuesday it had 53,921 doses of vaccine left for use in prisons – where people are at high risk due to squalid conditions – but it needed over 162,000 doses to launch a vaccination program in the capital.
Kinshasa, with nearly 20 million residents, has so far been less affected than other regions. Vaccination efforts are already underway in six other provinces. France has pledged 100,000 doses, with additional shipments expected from Germany and the African Union. But it is not known when they are due to arrive, Kacita said.
He said the arrival of vaccines was also delayed by the administrative process, which includes sending an official request, manufacturing, preparing documents and getting import authorizations.
A Congolese health official administers a mpox vaccination to a man, a key step in efforts to contain an outbreak that has spread from its epicenter, at a hospital in Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo October 5, 2024.
“As long as we don’t have the necessary quantity, it’s going to be complicated to launch (vaccination) in the 14 health zones,” Kacita told Reuters, referring to areas of Kinshasa. Congo as a whole reported 1,017 new suspected cases from Oct. 28 to Nov. 2, including 45 confirmed cases and 16 deaths, a health ministry report said.
Charity Save the Children said on Wednesday targeted vaccinations were needed to stop the virus spreading rapidly among children, who are nearly four times more likely to die from the new strain of mpox than adults. According to the aid agency’s data, suspected cases among children in Congo have increased by over 130% since Aug. 14 to 25,600 from 11,300, as of Nov. 3.
“Children are especially vulnerable to mpox – they explore by touch and taste, don’t always understand health guidance, and have weaker immune systems than adults,” Katia Vieira de Moraes LaCasse from Save the Children said.
Officials stand near mpox vaccines as first batches arrive at N’Djili International Airport in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo September 5, 2024.
