Congo must intensify its efforts to raise awareness about mpox and the availability of vaccines, an official from the response team emphasized on Thursday, cautioning that the vaccination campaign may take longer than initially expected.
Launched this month in the hard-hit eastern region, Congo's mpox vaccination campaign has encountered significant challenges, with many locals in North Kivu province appearing either unaware of or skeptical about the vaccines at vaccination sites.
Cris Kacita, head of Congo's mpox response team, stated that increased efforts are necessary to encourage vaccine uptake, noting that the campaign will extend beyond the initially planned 10 days.
"The awareness campaign has been carried out, but only timidly. These are gaps that need to be filled," he told Reuters.
During a recent visit to a vaccination site in Kibati, a camp for displaced people in North Kivu province, residents reported receiving no information about the inoculation efforts.
"I know nothing about this vaccine. No one has come to educate me about any vaccination against mpox," said Simon Ngagijimana Chui, the camp chief.
Congo's mpox vaccination campaign is a key step in efforts to contain the outbreak at its epicenter, from where it has spread to numerous other African nations this year.
The campaign's scope has been narrow to start due to limited supply, with just 265,000 doses currently available in the country of around 100 million people.
Health workers in Kibati have recruited local advocates who have been vaccinated and are trusted by the community to promote the benefits.
One of them is Benire Furahini Buchaguzi, 22, who uses a loudspeaker to spread her message.
"I bring my vaccination certificate to the community to show them that I have received my vaccine and to encourage them," she said.
Mpox can spread through close contact and typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body. While usually mild, it can be fatal.
Florence Frebo Uwimana, a young mother listening to Buchaguzi, said it was the first she had heard of the vaccination campaign.
"They just tell us to quickly bring anyone showing symptoms to the hospital, but no one talks to us about the vaccine," she said.
Africa has reported over 42,400 suspected and confirmed mpox cases and 1,100 deaths since the start of 2024, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday. The vast majority of these cases have been in Congo.
In Goma, the provincial capital, health care workers are concerned that the lack of information will undermine efforts to contain the disease.
"Perhaps they haven't been informed about this vaccine," said Dr. Hassan Amisi Djuma, a public health expert working in the city.
"If the population hasn't been informed about a disease, the risk is it may spread among them."
