Medical staff on the front line of the battle against mpox in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have told the BBC they are desperate for vaccines to arrive so they can stem the rate of new infections.
Mpox – formerly known as monkeypox – is a highly contagious disease and has killed at least 635 people in DR Congo this year.
Even though 200,000 vaccines, donated by the European Commission, were flown into the capital, Kinshasa, last week, they are yet to be transported across this vast country – and it could be several weeks before they reach South Kivu.
At the community clinic, Dr Pacifique Karanzo appeared fatigued and downbeat having been rushed off his feet all morning.
“You will even see that the patients are sleeping on the floor,” he told me, clearly exasperated.
“We try to do what we can to look after the sick and not put ourselves at risk either.
Her son, Murhula, is currently the youngest mpox case at the clinic – at only four weeks old.
This is the first time she, like many others here, have encountered mpox, which is caused by a virus in the same family as smallpox.
But not long after being discharged, her mother, Yvette Kabuya, returned as she too has fallen ill with mpox.
Bring on the vaccines,” she told the BBC.
In order to stop the spread of new infections, medical personnel fighting mpox in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have told the BBC they are in desperate need of vaccines.
In the epicenter of the outbreak, a treatment center in South Kivu province that the BBC visited reports that more patients—especially infants—are arriving every day and that there is a shortage of necessary supplies.
At least 635 people have died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from the highly contagious disease known as mpox, formerly known as monkeypox.
Despite being flown into the capital, Kinshasa, last week, 200,000 vaccines donated by the European Commission have not yet been transported throughout this enormous nation, and it may take several weeks for them to reach South Kivu.
The vaccine is already available, as we’ve learned from social media, said Emmanuel Fikiri, a nurse at the clinic that has been transformed into a specialized center to combat the virus, to the BBC.
Having never treated patients with mpox before, he said he was terrified to get it and infect his own kids, who are one, five, and seven years old, every day.
Being a nurse is what I do, so you saw how I interacted with the patients. That is why we are pleading with the government to assist us by first providing the vaccines. “.
Transporting the vaccines will take some time because they must be kept at a specific temperature—below freezing—to retain their effectiveness. In addition, they must be delivered to South Kivu’s rural areas, where the outbreak is most prevalent—Kamituga, Kavumu, and Lwiro.
Due to the poor roads and lack of infrastructure, it’s possible that some of the vaccines will be dropped by helicopter, which would increase costs in a nation that already faces financial difficulties.
Having been rushed off his feet all morning, Dr. Pacifique Karanzo at the community clinic looked worn out and depressed.
He had on a face shield, but I could still see drops of sweat running down his brow. He expressed his sadness at seeing patients sharing beds.
With evident frustration, he informed me, “You will even notice that the patients are dozing off on the floor.”.
As of now, the only assistance we have received is water and a small amount of medication for the patients. Concerning other issues, employee motivation is still nonexistent. “.
He also mentioned the issue of the medics’ lack of personal protective equipment (PPE).
“We try our best to take care of the sick while also avoiding danger to ourselves. Diseases still affect us. “.
Arriving at Lwiro Community Hospital, approximately an hour’s drive north of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, two things immediately strike you.
The sound of babies crying came first. The stench, which is a mixture of stagnant water and urine, is the second.
They must limit the amount of clean water they have in the tiny jerrycans beneath their beds because the clinic is running out of it.
The clinic has treated nearly 200 patients in the last three weeks, a significant increase from its typical monthly patient load of 80.
“Seeing my firstborn suffer from this odd illness makes me sad. Faraja Rukara, 18, stated, “I’m experiencing a lot of heartache.”.
With just four weeks on the clock, her son Murhula is the clinic’s youngest mpox case at present. Like many others present, this is the first time she has experienced mpox, a virus related to smallpox.
Many of the children are malnourished as a result of the disease’s appetite-killing effects.
Nineteen women and children, including two mattresses on the floor, were packed into a small room next to the other one. There were only seven beds.
The 10-month-old Amenipa Kabuya, the hospital’s first mpox case, recovered. However, Yvette Kabuya, her mother, returned shortly after she was released from the hospital because she had also contracted mpox.
People are eager for the vaccinations after seeing what the disease does to the body, including the excruciating puss-filled lesions, fever, and weight loss. This is unusual in a region where vaccine hesitancy has previously occurred.
After racing here in a panic, Beatrice Kachera, 50, tenderly pecked her three-year-old granddaughter’s cheek, saying, “I just saw the child get sick, I didn’t even know the name of the disease.”.
“We cannot wait for kids and even adults to pass away. “It’s time for the vaccinations,” she told the BBC.
