Eastern DR Congo crisis increasing risk of mpox transmission, WHO chief warns
February 3, 2025
The escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has severely disrupted mpox treatment efforts, forcing patients to flee healthcare facilities and heightening transmission risks. As M23 rebels advance in North and South Kivu, critical infrastructure is collapsing, with hospitals overwhelmed by casualties and disease outbreaks, including cholera and malaria. Water, electricity, and medical supplies are running low, while displaced populations face dire conditions. The World Health Organization (WHO) and humanitarian agencies are struggling to maintain services amid the violence. Urgent international intervention is needed to restore stability, protect public health, and prevent further humanitarian catastrophe.
The deteriorating security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is exacerbating an already dire public health crisis, with mpox patients fleeing overwhelmed treatment centers and increasing the risk of further transmission. Fighting intensified in late January as M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, seized control of strategic areas in North Kivu, threatening South Kivu and forcing tens of thousands of civilians to seek safety.
Before the latest violence, the World Health Organization (WHO) had observed stabilization in mpox cases. However, with hospitals now struggling to handle both war casualties and endemic diseases—including mpox, cholera, malaria, and measles—public health efforts are at a breaking point. In Goma, shelling has damaged hospitals, killing civilians, including infants and pregnant women, while stocks of essential medicine are running dangerously low. The destruction of water, electricity, and communication networks has left residents reliant on unsafe drinking water, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Goma, already vulnerable, are now in extreme danger, with aid access severely limited. The looting of humanitarian warehouses has further strained food supplies, driving up prices and deepening suffering. The UN warns that beyond the immediate humanitarian crisis, the conflict threatens years of development progress, disrupting education, businesses, and infrastructure essential for long-term recovery.
The international community must act urgently to support humanitarian efforts, restore essential services, and push for diplomatic solutions to prevent further devastation. Without immediate intervention, both the health crisis and the humanitarian emergency will spiral further out of control, worsening suffering for millions and jeopardizing the DRC’s path to recovery.