In a race against time, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has initiated a crucial vaccination campaign against mpox following a harrowing outbreak that has claimed 859 lives this year alone. The World Health Organization had previously declared the mpox outbreak a global emergency, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

The DRC received a lifeline in the form of 265,000 vaccine doses, generously donated by the European Union and the United States. The first round of vaccinations was recently administered in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, where health services are critically strained as they combat a new, potentially more infectious strain of the virus.

An alarming statistic: the DRC accounts for over 80% of all mpox cases and a staggering 99% of deaths reported in Africa in 2023. With about 30,000 suspected cases recorded, every province in the country is grappling with this dire health crisis.

Tragically, most of the mpox victims have been children under the age of 15, yet the current vaccination efforts are focused solely on adults, specifically targeting frontline health workers and vulnerable populations. Health Minister Roger Kamba emphasized the strategic approach taken to ensure that all pertinent personnel receive the vaccine, which is seen as a crucial step toward controlling the outbreak.

Adding to the optimism, Kamba announced that at least 3 million doses of the mpox vaccine specifically approved for use in children are expected to arrive from Japan in the coming days. This could open the door to wider immunization efforts targeting the most affected age group, offering hope in a region overwhelmed by this health emergency.

As the global community watches, the DRC's fight against mpox highlights not only the urgent need for vaccines but also the underlying challenges of health infrastructure in the region. Could this vaccination campaign be the turning point in the battle against mpox? Only time will tell. Stay tuned for updates as the situation evolves.