A mysterious flu-like illness has affected nearly a thousand people, while a newly identified strain of mpox is spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo, health officials have confirmed. The outbreaks, which have claimed 52 lives in less than three weeks, are unfolding in the western province of Equateur, adding to the country’s mounting health challenges.
According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and Congo’s Health Minister Roger Kamba, efforts to identify the cause of the febrile illness and contain the rising mpox cases are being hampered by ongoing conflict and the freezing of U.S. funding.
Ngashi Ngongo, a principal adviser at Africa CDC, explained during a Thursday briefing that the outbreaks might involve a combination of diseases common in the region that have evolved into severe forms due to widespread hunger and poor living conditions. Possible causes include malaria, suspected food or water poisoning, influenza, and typhoid fever, with children being particularly affected.
Separately, a new mpox strain with a potentially higher transmission rate has been detected, sparking concerns about the potential for a more extensive outbreak. The strain’s emergence, coupled with Congo’s fragile healthcare system, prompted Africa CDC to extend its continental public health emergency over the disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) also maintained its highest-level alert for mpox.
Funding Crisis and Health System Strain
Congo, a nation as large as Alaska and Texas combined, faces significant challenges in managing these health threats due to limited resources. Health Minister Kamba emphasized the urgent need for financial support to strengthen the country’s health systems, particularly in disease surveillance and response.
“Our health system is largely supported by external aid,” Kamba said. “When that aid suddenly stops, the consequences are dire. It affects everything from disease monitoring to treatment availability.”
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has historically been a major donor to Congo’s health sector, supporting efforts to combat diseases such as malaria, HIV, and mpox. USAID’s contribution to the mpox response alone was $16 million. However, recent funding freezes have left Congo’s health system severely strained.
Conflict and Disease Spread
The health crisis is further complicated by ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, where millions of people are displaced and living in crowded, unsanitary conditions that facilitate the spread of infectious diseases. The war-torn region faces heightened risks of outbreaks, including mpox, measles, and cholera.
“The risk of disease spread is exponentially higher in conflict zones,” Ngongo noted. “Humanitarian access is limited, and healthcare delivery is severely impacted.”
With the new mpox strain posing additional threats, health authorities are calling for international support to prevent the situation from escalating into a larger public health crisis.
Global Health Alert
The rising number of mpox cases, combined with Congo’s fragile health infrastructure, has led both Africa CDC and WHO to maintain heightened public health alerts. The international community is closely monitoring the situation as Congo grapples with multiple overlapping health emergencies.
As the country battles these outbreaks amid conflict and funding challenges, health officials warn that urgent international assistance is needed to prevent further loss of life and contain the spread of the diseases.