Monkeypox continues to plague the Democratic Republic of Congo, with an increasing number of suspected cases recorded since the start of the year. According to data recently released by the Ministry of Health Incident Management System, the country has recorded a total of 5,236 cases of Monkeypox, sadly resulting in 229 deaths. These cases have been reported in 17 of the country’s 26 provinces, with a prevalence of 65%. In addition, they are distributed in 155 health zones out of the 519 in the country, or approximately 29%.
The Incident Management System has identified several challenges it is facing in dealing with this outbreak. First, there is the progression of the disease across the country, which requires urgent action to stem its spread. Then there is the lack of adequate care kits, which limits the ability to treat Monkeypox patients. In addition, there is low case detection, both clinically and biologically, making it difficult to quickly and accurately identify infected people. Another issue concerns the limited involvement of the community in the fight against Monkeypox, which hampers awareness and prevention efforts. Finally, there is little involvement of other sectors in the fight against the epidemic, which limits the coordination and effectiveness of the measures taken.
Faced with these challenges, it is necessary to strengthen prevention and awareness-raising measures on a large scale. It is essential to ensure better detection of suspected cases and to provide adequate care kits in all affected areas. In addition, the active participation of the community is crucial to inform about symptoms, preventive measures and available treatment centers. It is also important to mobilize other sectors, such as education and the media, to support the fight against monkeypox and disseminate reliable and accurate information.
In conclusion, the Monkeypox situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains worrying, with an increasing number of cases and deaths recorded. Concerted efforts must be made to deal with this epidemic, by strengthening prevention measures, case detection, patient management and community awareness. Coordination between the different actors and the mobilization of all are essential to contain and control this disease