As conflict intensifies in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, more than 500 mpox patients have escaped from clinics in Goma and Bukavu, prompting fears of a potential outbreak of the highly contagious disease. The Africa CDC has expressed alarm over the situation, as health facilities face looting and destruction amid the violence.
Chaos in DR Congo Leads to Surge in Mpox Patients at Risk
Chaos in DR Congo Leads to Surge in Mpox Patients at Risk
Over 500 mpox patients have fled healthcare facilities in eastern DR Congo amidst ongoing conflict with rebel forces, raising public health concerns.
As fighting between the M23 rebels and the Congolese army escalates in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, over 500 patients suffering from mpox have fled healthcare facilities, creating dire public health concerns. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has raised alarms regarding the implications of these fleeing patients potentially spreading the highly contagious disease, which claimed nearly 900 lives in the region last year.
Recent developments highlight that the reconquest of Goma and Bukavu by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels has led to chaos in these urban centers, compelling patients to abandon treatment. Dr. Samuel Muhindo, who oversees a clinic in Goma, stated that the situation was catastrophic, with looters ransacking medical supplies and equipment. At the Mugunga health center in Goma, 128 mpox patients disappeared as fighting erupted at the end of January, while clinic records were destroyed, making tracing those patients impossible.
The mpox outbreak in DR Congo is being closely monitored, as nearly 2,890 cases and over 180 deaths have been reported since the beginning of 2023. Symptoms of mpox include lesions, headaches, and fever, and amid current health crises, vulnerable populations, particularly children, are bearing the brunt of this epidemic.
Dr. Muhindo warned that the closure of camps by the M23, which previously sheltered tens of thousands from ongoing violence, has worsened the epidemic threat. With patients not only missing but also at risk of further transmission in communities, the Africa CDC and other health officials are calling for a ceasefire and humanitarian corridors to facilitate healthcare access.
The health facility at Mugunga, partly funded by UNICEF, has reopened but is already overwhelmed, with multiple patients sharing beds due to insufficient space and resources. Meanwhile, new variants of mpox with increased transmissibility have been identified within the country, heightening fears of outbreaks amidst ongoing military conflict and insufficient health funding.
Sadiki Bichichi Aristide, a 23-year-old patient receiving treatment for mpox, described fleeing from Minova to Goma amid rebel advances and expressed the challenges faced within displacement camps. Despite their tenuous situation, healthcare workers at Mugunga managed to save some equipment but have noted significant devastation at numerous other healthcare centers.
Overall, the unrest in eastern DR Congo poses an increasing threat to public health, emphasizing the critical need for immediate international support and intervention to curb the spread of mpox in an already fragile humanitarian landscape.
