The Ministry of Public Health and Prevention, supported by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa CDC and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, on Saturday started vaccinating vulnerable groups against mpox in high-priority provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). A total of 265,000 doses of the MVA-BN mpox vaccine arrived in Kinshasa in September, donated by the European Union, the Government of the United States and Gavi with support from Africa CDC. UNICEF organized the shipment, customs clearance and delivery of the vaccines to DRC, the in-country storage and onward transport of the vaccines to Equateur, Sud Ubangi, Tshopo, North Kivu, South Kivu and Sankuru provinces.
Gavi provided valuable funds towards the costs for vaccination readiness and delivery undertaken by the Ministry of Health, UNICEF and WHO. Vaccination started in North Kivu province today and will start in South Kivu tomorrow, Tshopo on 7 October and Equateur on 8 October. Vaccination in the two other provinces will start soon after.
From the start of the year to the end of September, DRC has recorded over 30,000 suspected cases of mpox and more than 900 deaths. Children under 15 are particularly affected by this outbreak, accounting for around 60 per cent of suspected cases and 80 per cent of deaths. “The start of the vaccination campaign is a very welcome development and means we are one step closer to bringing this outbreak to an end,” said UNICEF DRC Representative Grant Leaity.
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