The mpox outbreak is sweeping across sub-Saharan Africa, hitting especially the most vulnerable in DR Congo’s refugee camps. NGOs and the government are rushing to contain it amid pleas for international solidarity.
The fight against mpox is in full swing at the Munigi Health Center in Nyiragongo territory, North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The urgency is palpable: Medical staff are working tirelessly inside tents to treat confirmed cases and halt the spread of the disease.
Since mid-June, Munigi Health Center in eastern DRC has received 281 suspected cases. The majority of these cases, 75%, are children under the age of 10. In total, authorities have reported more than 500 cases of mpox in North Kivu alone.
Nyota Aziza is one of the many patients receiving treatment at Munigi. “I had a fever and a bad headache,” she told DW. “My relatives told me it was smallpox. I was taken to the hospital here and the doctors take care of me every step of the way.”
Nearly ten new patients each day
Patients are treated at Nyiragongo General Hospital, where a site has been set up by the Medair organization, whose priority is to protect the most vulnerable. According to Medair nurse Tresor Basubi, the situation is worrying due to the new number of cases .
“Every day, we receive nine patients with the same mpox symptoms,” Basubi said, adding that patients are treated according to the national protocol. “For the moment, there is no specific treatment. The treatment we give is based on the symptoms the patient presents.”
Credit: DW
