The worsening security and humanitarian crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has led to a surge in mpox patients fleeing treatment centers, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reported on Thursday.
Ngashi Ngongo, head of the Africa CDC’s incident management support team in the DRC, said the number of patients leaving treatment facilities had increased by 500 from the previous week to 605, raising fears of further spread to neighboring Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.
Efforts to track new infections have been hampered by limited testing capacity, logistical challenges and a freeze on U.S. aid that has disrupted sample transportation. Authorities are negotiating a humanitarian corridor to ensure aid reaches the conflict-affected North and South Kivu provinces.
Despite the crisis, the DRC Ministry of Health has launched an emergency response plan to decentralize laboratory testing and strengthen efforts to combat the outbreak. Meanwhile, clashes between M23 rebels and government forces continue to fuel instability in the region, displacing thousands and worsening health risks.