MPOX TRACKER

Eastern Congo’s mpox outbreak is spiraling out of control as the escalating conflict between Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and Congolese forces severely disrupts medical efforts. Once a stronghold for mpox detection and treatment, hospitals now face dire shortages of medicines, limited vaccine access, and mass patient displacement. The Miti Murhesa health zone, with over 4,700 reported cases by the end of 2024, is particularly affected, with only two of its four treatment centers still operational. The violence has forced more than 600 mpox patients to flee, raising significant concerns about disease spread and an overwhelmed healthcare system.

Health workers in the region describe an increasingly desperate situation. Facilities that once played a key role in the global mpox response are struggling to operate, with dwindling medical supplies and growing difficulties in tracking patients. Many individuals, like mpox patient Mubake Buroko Patrick, have found it harder to access critical medicines, exacerbating their condition. Meanwhile, with M23’s continued expansion into Goma, Bukavu, and other parts of North and South Kivu, efforts to contain the outbreak are becoming more difficult.

Authorities, including the Africa CDC, are working to establish a humanitarian corridor to restore medical access in combat zones. However, without immediate intervention, the region faces a worsening health disaster. Tracing patients to prevent the spread of mpox is becoming increasingly unmanageable, and frontline health workers are left with few options. With cholera and measles outbreaks further straining the country’s fragile health system, a coordinated global response is essential. The world must act now to prevent a wider mpox crisis and support Congo’s struggling medical infrastructure amid ongoing conflict.