The initiative aims to curb the spread of preventable diseases such as polio, measles and yellow fever which remain a persistent threat in hard-to-reach areas.– Dr. Boureima Hama Sambo, WHO Representative
Families displaced from eastern DR Congo due to rampant insecurity.
Ongoing Mpox outbreak
Even as the country battles vaccine-preventable diseases, the DRC continues to face a large mpox outbreak. Between 1 January and 2 March 2025, the country recorded 2,415 confirmed cases, with 1,080 of them occurring in the last six weeks alone.
WHO has declared the mpox resurgence a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) and warned that the virus is circulating in at least ten provinces.
The outbreak is being fuelled by sustained human-to-human transmission, particularly in the capital, Kinshasa, where genomic sequencing indicates that one specific strain has persisted since July 2024.
Impact of violence
Complicating response efforts is the ongoing violence in the eastern DRC, which disrupted healthcare services and made it difficult to track and contain the virus. In February, the virus was detected for the first time in the south-central Lomami province, expanding its reach further.
The WHO is also monitoring new travel-related mpox cases that have emerged outside the country, including in Belgium, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Meanwhile, South Africa has reported its first cluster of mpox cases linked to the same strain circulating in the DRC.