Conflict in Eastern DRC Worsens Mpox Outbreak, Disrupts Healthcare Efforts

Six weeks after Rwanda-backed rebels seized two major cities in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the region is facing a serious setback in its battle against the mpox outbreak. The DRC bears the highest burden of the virus, with the epicenter in the conflict-ridden east.

As fighting with the M23 escalates, more than 600 mpox patients have fled hospitals, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The country recorded a 31% rise in cases last week, pushing the total to nearly 16,255.

Many patients are now unaccounted for, while recently arrived vaccines are running low as supply routes to combat zones remain cut off. Several hospitals have also come under attack.

“The situation has been extremely challenging. Insecurity has disrupted everything,” said Dr Serge Munyahu Cikuru, medical officer for the Miti Murhesa health zone in South Kivu province.

Efforts to trace patients and contain the virus are growing increasingly difficult, and healthcare workers are struggling to manage dwindling medical supplies.

Authorities are reportedly in talks to negotiate a temporary ceasefire to establish a humanitarian corridor, allowing essential medical supplies to reach affected areas. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization recently warned that the Clade 1b strain of mpox continues to spread globally.

The virus, transmitted through close contact, causes fever, muscle aches, and painful, boil-like skin lesions. While usually mild, it can be fatal.

Adding to the crisis, the DRC’s eastern provinces are also battling outbreaks of cholera and measles, further straining an already fragile healthcare system.