Health officials in Congo launched their first mpox vaccination campaign on Saturday, marking a key effort to control an outbreak that started in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has since spread to several African countries this year.
A ceremony was held by officials at a hospital in the eastern city of Goma to mark the beginning of the vaccinations, with healthcare workers being the first in line to receive the vaccine doses.
Due to limited resources, the Ministry of Health warned on Friday that the campaign would be small in scope. Currently, 265,000 doses of the vaccine are available, with more expected to follow.
The rollout of the vaccine addresses a significant inequality, as African nations lacked access to the two doses used to combat the global mpox outbreak in 2022, while these doses were readily available across Europe and the United States.
“The launch of the vaccine is an important step in controlling the spread of the virus and ensuring the safety of families and communities,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, in a statement.
Mpox can spread through close contact. It is usually mild, but can be dangerous in rare cases. It typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled sores on the body.
In August, after detecting a new variant, the World Health Organization announced the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Congo has reported over 30,000 suspected and confirmed cases, along with 990 deaths since the beginning of 2024, accounting for 90% of the reported cases in Africa so far this year, according to WHO.