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At the Kavumu Health Centre in one of the regions hardest hit by mpox, health workers are overwhelmed by the surge in patients.
Dr. Erick Mashimango, the center’s mpox focal point, described the situation as critical. “We receive an average of 30 patients per day, but the numbers are increasing daily. We have reached a point where we are overwhelmed,” he said.
The facility has been forced to set up temporary tents to accommodate the growing number of patients, but even these measures are proving inadequate. Inside the tents, families sit on the ground as health workers, clad in personal protective equipment (PPE), attend to those showing symptoms of mpox, a viral disease marked by fever, rash, and, in severe cases, death.
The rapid spread of the disease has led DRC health authorities to collaborate with the Health Division of Epidemiological Surveillance in an effort to contain the outbreak. “We are working on establishing mechanisms to end these outbreaks, which are very dangerous given the clinical signs we are observing,” said Dr. Mashimango.
The strain on the Kavumu health workers is palpable. “The medical team is working beyond their physical capacity. They are overwhelmed, and it is taking a toll,” Dr. Mashimango noted.
There is also a growing demand for vaccines in the affected communities. “People themselves are asking for vaccines, and it has become a significant concern. It would be desirable to have these vaccines urgently,” Dr. Mashimango emphasized.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and other international health bodies are closely monitoring the situation, especially as the disease has begun spreading to neighboring countries, raising fears of a wider regional outbreak.
Although mpox outbreaks have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for decades, recent years have seen a steady rise in cases. Currently, the DRC is facing a severe outbreak, with over 20,000 suspected cases and 632 deaths reported this year alone (as of September 1). The spread to neighboring countries prompted the WHO Director-General to declare a public health emergency of international concern on August 14.
