As the smallpox epidemic continues to grow at an exponential rate in sixteen African countries, the first doses of vaccine have begun to be distributed in the most affected countries. This is a novelty on the African continent and, in particular, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the disease has been endemic for fifty years. After a major epidemic outside Africa in 2022 and no less than two public health emergencies of international importance – the highest alert level of the World Health Organization (WHO) –, decreed in 2022 and 2024, the Congolese finally They have access to the precious product. Two months after the WHO emergency declaration, “Mpox remains a major public health problem in Africa”warns Jean Kaseya, director of the Africa CDC, the African public health agency.
The first doses arrived on the ground on October 5, especially in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, crucibles of the epidemic that emerged last year. This new variant of clade 1b spread quickly to some neighboring countries. Starting Monday, October 7, Rwanda also began vaccinating certain target populations, while Nigeria, where clade 2 is prevalent, should soon launch its own campaign.
The issue is critical for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the vast majority of mox cases on the continent are recorded (85%). Since the beginning of 2024, 31,350 suspected cases have been identified in the country, with nearly 1,000 deaths, which represents a fatality rate of 3.2%. Only 6,169 cases could be confirmed by laboratory PCR tests (out of 25 confirmed deaths), which demonstrates a significant problem in access to diagnoses. Specifically, only 40% of suspected cases are tested, which means that many infected people do not receive treatment, increasing the risks of spread.
The main known antiviral against mpox, tecovirimat, has not demonstrated conclusive results against the current epidemic, but vaccination remains the only effective treatment to stop the spread of the virus. That is why the arrival of the first vaccines was so eagerly awaited in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. So far, the country’s health authorities have received about 265,000 doses, of which 200,000 come from the European Union, 50,000 from the United States and 15,000 through the Gavi organization, the main actor in international solidarity that supports low-income countries. income on purchase. of vaccines.
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