The Democratic Republic of Congo requires 3.5 million doses of monkeypox vaccines to halt an outbreak that has infected over 15,600 people, according to Health Minister Roger Kampa.
In a press conference broadcasted by national television on Thursday, Minister Kampa stated that approximately 2.5 million people need to be vaccinated to control the virus, which has claimed about 550 lives since the beginning of the year.
Minister Kampa highlighted that a new strain of the disease, which can be transmitted through sexual contact and shows milder symptoms than previous strains, has led to an increase in cases.
The vaccines, some of which require multiple doses, will cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
“For this reason, it is crucial to call on the international community to take action and say let’s provide the assistance, let’s offer the resources so we can access these vaccines,” added Kampa.
The appeal underscores the urgent need for global cooperation to address the health crisis in the central African nation.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), has declared monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
This decision comes in response to the sudden rise in monkeypox cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and an increasing number of cases in several African countries. The declaration was made under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR).
Dr. Tedros made this announcement following the advice of the IHR Emergency Committee, composed of independent experts. The committee met earlier to review data presented by WHO experts and the affected countries.
The committee informed the Director-General that they consider the surge in monkeypox cases a public health emergency with the potential for wider spread across African countries and possibly beyond the continent.
