Congo’s health officials launched their first mpox vaccination campaign on Saturday.
Officials held a ceremony to mark the start of vaccinations at a hospital in the city of Goma.
The Health Ministry warned on Friday that the campaign’s scope would be small due to limited resources. At the moment, 265,000 vaccine doses are available, though more are in the pipeline.
Read more: Malala Yousafzai announces emergency funding for Palestinian children in Gaza
Mpox cases:
In August, World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after a new variant was identified.
Congo has reported more than 30,000 suspected and confirmed cases, and 990 deaths since the start of 2024 – accounting for 90 per cent of the cases reported from Africa so far this year, according to the WHO.
Mpox can spread through close contact. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.
