WHO Reports Over 18,000 Suspected Mpox Cases in DRC
The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced more than 18,000 suspected Mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) this year, with 629 deaths recorded so far.
Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, shared the update during an online news briefing on Friday, noting that over 5,000 cases and 31 deaths have been reported in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, where the new clade 1b strain is spreading rapidly.
“Thankfully, the number of deaths has slowed in recent weeks, despite the rising case count,” Ghebreyesus said.
Mpox cases have also spread beyond the DRC, with 258 confirmed cases in Burundi, and additional cases reported in Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Sweden, and Thailand.
Ghebreyesus highlighted his recent visit to the DRC, where he met with President Félix Tshisekedi and other officials to discuss the ongoing response to the outbreak. The DRC government has committed $10 million to the Mpox response, with WHO and Africa CDC offering full support.
Efforts to deliver vaccines to affected regions are underway, with manufacturers submitting applications for emergency use. WHO is working closely with partners like Gavi, UNICEF, and the African CDC to expedite vaccine distribution and tackle the outbreak.
Though vaccines are key, Ghebreyesus stressed that other preventive and diagnostic measures are equally critical in stopping the transmission in one of DRC’s most insecure regions.
