An mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has resulted in 548 deaths since the beginning of 2024, according to a statement released by the country’s health minister, Samuel-Roger Kamba. The virus has affected all 26 provinces of the DRC, which has a population of around 100 million people.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the mpox surge in Africa a global public health emergency due to the rising number of cases in the DRC and the virus’s spread to neighboring countries. As of the latest report, the DRC has recorded 15,664 potential cases of mpox this year.
The most severely impacted provinces include South Kivu, North Kivu, Tshopo, Equateur, North Ubangi, Tshuapa, Mongala, and Sankuru. The outbreak has prompted the African Union’s health agency to also declare a public health emergency.