Congo’s health officials have emphasized the urgent need to bolster public awareness regarding mpox and the availability of vaccines, cautioning that the ongoing vaccination campaign is likely to extend beyond the initially planned timeframe. The mpox vaccination effort, which commenced this month in the eastern region severely affected by the outbreak, is facing significant challenges. Many locals in North Kivu province appear either uninformed or suspicious of the vaccine.
Cris Kacita, head of Congo’s mpox response team, stated that more must be done to encourage vaccine uptake, noting that the campaign’s duration would likely surpass the original ten days. “While awareness efforts have been made, they have been limited. There are gaps that must be addressed,” Kacita said.
During a visit to a vaccination site in Kibati, a camp housing displaced individuals, residents expressed a lack of information regarding the vaccination initiatives. Camp chief Simon Ngagijimana Chui remarked, “I have no knowledge about this vaccine. No one has come to inform us about any vaccinations against mpox.”
The vaccination campaign is a critical component in efforts to control the outbreak at its epicenter, which has spread to several other African nations this year. However, its scope has been constrained by a limited supply of vaccines, with only 265,000 doses available for the country’s population of approximately 100 million people.
In Kibati, health workers have recruited local advocates who have received vaccinations and are trusted within their communities to promote the vaccine’s benefits. One such advocate, 22-year-old Benire Furahini Buchaguzi, uses a loudspeaker to share her message, stating, “I show my vaccination certificate to the community to demonstrate that I have been vaccinated and to encourage others to do the same.”
Mpox, which spreads through close contact, typically presents with flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. Although the disease is generally mild, it can be fatal. Florence Frebo Uwimana, a young mother listening to Buchaguzi, noted it was the first time she had heard about the vaccination campaign, stating, “They only tell us to take anyone showing symptoms to the hospital quickly, but no one discusses the vaccine with us.”
As of Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the continent has recorded over 42,400 suspected and confirmed mpox cases and 1,100 deaths since the beginning of 2024, with the majority of cases concentrated in Congo.