KINSHASA, Congo

The number of monkeypox cases continued to increase overnight Wednesday in Congo.

The government and its partners have recommended prevention measures when symptoms appear, such as high fevers, skin rashes, lesions on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet or covering the body. It is recommended to avoid consuming all dead animals.

At least 419 dead since January

Authorities fear a risk of contamination for the population in Goma and its environment.

Health sources, including the World Health Organization (WHO), reported 9,291 clinically compatible cases and 419 deaths since January.

To effectively combat the disease, the Health Ministry approved two vaccines which are expected to arrive in the coming days. The National Monkey Pox Control Program (PNLM) said vaccination will make it possible to vaccinate everyone but it will begin where several cases are recorded.

Worrying spread of monkeypox in eastern Congo​​​​​​​

Health officials have warned of the deadly spread of a new strain of the virus along the eastern border of Congo, namely in the province of North Kivu.

The provincial government of North Kivu announced that one case was confirmed in the Karisimbi health zone, in Goma on June 2.

To date, eight cases have been reported, including the one in the Karisimbi health zone, two in the Goma health zone and five in the Nyiragongo health zone.

This highly contagious and dangerous disease represents a significant threat to the population in Goma and its surroundings, as well as to the entire province of North Kivu which is facing an escalation of fighting between the army and its militia allies against the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels, supported by the Rwandan army.

The virus was discovered in 1958 in Basankusu in the Congolese province of Equateur and resurfaced in the Congo in 2017.

It gradually spread from there across Africa, before reaching Europe and North America, pushing the WHO to declare the epidemic a “public health emergency” in July 2022.​​​​​​​