Kinshasa press review from Tuesday, November 28, 2023: Monkey pox continues to wreak havoc in the DRC
The newspapers published this Tuesday in Kinshasa paid particular attention to the alarm bells sounded by the World Health Organization (WHO) concerning monkey pox, also known as Monkey pox disease, which is prevalent in Democratic Republic of Congo for 11 months.
According to Forum des As, while the electoral campaign is in full swing in the DRC, the WHO is sounding the alarm about the extent of Monkey pox disease which has claimed 581 victims since the start of the epidemic. Since January, 12,569 suspected cases have been detected in 22 provinces of the country. The WHO fears a large-scale spread of the disease beyond the borders of the DRC if urgent measures are not taken. Monkeypox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus and is endemic in the dense forest regions of West and Central Africa. The particularity of this pathology in the northern and central regions of the DRC is causing increased concern.
Reference Plus emphasizes that the WHO is concerned about the new characteristics of sexual transmission of the disease. This UN system agency is currently leading a joint assessment mission with the DRC Ministry of Health to assess the situation. The disease is characterized by skin rashes and may be accompanied by fever, sore throat or pain in the lymph nodes. The WHO calls for vigilance in the DRC, recalling that outbreaks of Monkey pox have been observed in Europe and the United States outside of the countries of Central and West Africa where the disease is endemic.
According to L’Avenir, a total of 91,788 confirmed cases of Monkey pox, including 167 deaths, were recorded in 116 countries and territories between January 2022 and October 2023. There are two known clades of the disease, clade I and clade II, formerly called Congo Basin and West African clades. Until last April, no documented cases of sexual transmission of clade I had been recorded globally. However, an outbreak of suspected sexually transmitted clade I cases was identified in Kenge last April. The WHO declared the maximum alert level in July 2022 following the spread of the disease in Europe and the United States.
La Tempête des tropiques also reports that the province of South Kivu is recording an increase in cases of monkeypox. Among the 86 suspected cases recorded over the last two months, 36 were confirmed in the laboratory. The worst affected areas are Kamituga, Kadutu, Mwenga, Shabunda, Ibanda, Kanyola, Uvira, Fizi, Walungu and Nyangezi. Those most at risk are those who work in mines and sex workers.
In conclusion, monkeypox continues to represent a public health challenge in the DRC. Prevention and awareness measures must be strengthened to contain the spread of the disease. The WHO and the Congolese authorities must work closely together to put in place effective strategies to combat this epidemic. Public vigilance is essential to prevent new cases and protect the health of all.