Pope Francis in Solidarity with DR Congo’s “so tried” People Affected by Monkeypox

The monkeypox virus has continued to pose a serious health threat in several parts of the world, with the DRC among the hardest hit.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the upsurge of Mpox in DRC and in a number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR).

In a report dated August 14, WHO Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, made the declaration that Mpox was a PHEIC. The declaration was based on IHR Emergency Committee, he said about the committee of independent experts, which had convened earlier the same day to assess data that WHO and representatives from affected countries had provided.

“The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries are very worrying,” Dr. Tedros said while declaring the PHEIC.

He added, “On top of outbreaks of other Mpox clades in DRC and other African countries, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.”

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According to WHO, DRC has over 14,000 confirmed cases and 524 reported deaths so far. Conditions in refugee camps in Eastern Congo, particularly in the North Kivu region, are said to be conducive to the spread of the disease.

Mpox cases have also been reported in other African countries, including Kenya, which has recorded two cases, and Uganda, which has four cases. 

Overall, more than 200 confirmed cases have been detected across five African countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.