UN reports new outbreak of monkeypox in Africa: critical situation in Congo.

In Africa, among refugees, at least 88 cases of monkeypox (mpox) have been reported, of which 68 are in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This was reported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), according to BBC.

This new mpox outbreak attacks the most vulnerable groups of the population, including many refugees and forcibly displaced communities living in difficult conditions

According to UNHCR Head of Public Health Allen Maina, refugees often live in overcrowded shelters, lack access to safe water, soap, and food, and have great difficulty receiving medical care, which increases the risk of disease.

Need for vaccines

According to the BBC, medical personnel in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo desperately need vaccines to stop the spread of new infections. 200,000 vaccines provided by the EU have already been delivered to the capital Kinshasa last week, but they still need to be transported across the large country, which will take several weeks.

However, certain conditions are required for transporting the vaccines. They must be stored at low temperatures to maintain effectiveness and need to be delivered to rural areas of South Kivu, such as Kamituga, Kavumu, and Lwiro, where the mpox outbreak is prevalent.

The lack of necessary infrastructure and poor roads means that helicopters may be needed to deliver some vaccines, which will further increase costs in a country already facing financial difficulties.

Funding and prevention

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, $21.4 million needs to be raised by the end of the year for urgent strengthening of critical response and prevention measures for refugees in countries affected by monkeypox. It is noted that these measures will support 9.9 million forcibly displaced persons and communities in 35 African countries.

Additionally, it is worth noting that the new monkeypox virus is rapidly changing, creating challenges. Moreover, it often spreads in regions where experts lack the necessary funding and equipment for effective control.