In a major health challenge, Congo’s efforts to curb the spread of mpox are encountering significant obstacles due to a lack of public awareness about the disease and the vaccine. Health officials have warned that the vaccination campaign, launched earlier this month in the heavily affected eastern regions of the country, is progressing much slower than expected.
Cris Kacita, head of Congo’s mpox response team, acknowledged that public awareness efforts have been insufficient, and more needs to be done to inform communities about the availability and importance of the vaccine. “The awareness campaign has been carried out, but only timidly. These are gaps that need to be filled,” Kacita told Reuters on Thursday.
The vaccination drive was initially slated to run for 10 days but is now expected to take much longer, as local communities in high-risk areas remain largely unaware of the initiative. On a visit to a vaccination site in Kibati, North Kivu province, a Reuters reporter found that many residents were either unaware of the vaccine or were skeptical of its benefits.
Simon Ngagijimana Chui, the chief of a displaced persons camp in Kibati, expressed frustration over the lack of communication, stating, “I know nothing about this vaccine. No one has come to educate me about any vaccination against mpox.”
Currently, Congo is grappling with one of the largest outbreaks of mpox in Africa. The disease, which spreads through close contact, presents flu-like symptoms and can cause painful, pus-filled lesions on the body. Though it is often mild, mpox can be fatal in severe cases.
In response to the slow rollout, health workers in North Kivu province have enlisted local advocates to promote the vaccine within their communities. One such advocate, 22-year-old Benire Furahini Buchaguzi, has been using a loudspeaker to encourage others to get vaccinated. “I bring my vaccination certificate to the community to show them that I have received my vaccine and to encourage them,” Buchaguzi said, as she continues her outreach efforts.
Despite these grassroots efforts, many residents, like Florence Frebo Uwimana, a young mother, remain in the dark about the campaign. “They just tell us to quickly bring anyone showing symptoms to the hospital, but no one talks to us about the vaccine,” Uwimana shared.
The vaccination campaign is crucial not only for Congo but for the entire region. Since the beginning of 2024, Africa has reported over 42,400 suspected and confirmed cases of mpox and approximately 1,100 deaths. Congo, with its population of over 100 million people, is the epicenter of the outbreak, accounting for the majority of cases.
Healthcare workers in Goma, the provincial capital, have expressed concerns that the lack of information about the vaccine could undermine containment efforts. Dr. Hassan Amisi Djuma, a public health expert in Goma, highlighted the risk of further spread if communities remain uninformed about the vaccine’s availability.
With only 265,000 doses of the vaccine currently available, health officials are calling for more widespread education and outreach to ensure a higher vaccine uptake. As the situation continues to evolve, it remains crucial for both local leaders and the international community to rally around Congo’s efforts to prevent further devastation from this deadly virus.
Read More:
The Untold Struggles Of Postpartum Mental Health: Why Access Remains A Challengects
New Insights Into Human Evolution: Starch-Digesting Genes Date Back 800,000 Years
New Pediatric Heart Stent Offers Lifelong Benefits For Children With Congenital Heart Defe
