The city of Goma, located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is struggling to cope with the outbreak of mpox as confirmed cases have kept soaring in recent days.
Africa is witnessing an "upward trend" in mpox cases, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned on Friday. Since 2024, the continent has reported 24,851 suspected mpox cases, including 5,549 confirmed cases and 643 deaths.
The DRC has emerged as the epicenter of the outbreak, accounting for 90 percent of reported cases. The DRC has reported 20,463 suspected cases, including 635 deaths.
Goma has a population of over 700,000 people. The outbreak has stretched the healthcare infrastructure thin. The lack of intensive surveillance and a robust data collection system has hampered efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
Anderson Kalule, a patient in Goma who contracted the virus, has urged the local community to adhere to measures put in place to curb the spread of infections.
"All I can say to the people of Goma, because they are my local population where I live; I got this disease right here in town. I did not travel to get it. I ask them to carefully observe the barrier measures. Let them protect themselves because it is a very contagious disease, and just by contact with an infected person, one can get the disease," said Kalule.
According to health officials, lack of public awareness regarding the virus has fueled the spread of the disease. Local health officials say despite efforts to educate the population, misinformation and misunderstanding about mpox persist.
"There is still low awareness, this is why perhaps people do not seem to be very concerned. I think that WHO, with its partners, should strengthen awareness so that the population is aware that this is a new problem that has just arisen otherwise we may fail to manage this virus," said Dr. Homer Kakule, public health expert.
With an overstretched healthcare system, limited diagnostic facilities and inadequate public awareness, the city is being pushed to the limit.
The DRC, which received its first batch of 99,100 mpox vaccine doses on Thursday, is currently developing a distribution and vaccination strategy, particularly in the eastern part of the country, where most cases have been reported amid a prolonged humanitarian crisis. However, health authorities have not yet announced when vaccinations will begin.
DRC's eastern city of Goma struggles to curb mpox spread
DRC's eastern city of Goma struggles to curb mpox spread
