Congo Faces Dramatic Situation

DRC Faces Dramatic Situation

Affected by violence, displacement, and an increase of mpox cases

(ANS – Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo – August 30, 2024) – On August 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international emergency due to the increase in cases of mpox, or monkey smallpox. So far this year, there have been more than 15,000 cases of mpox and more than 500 people have died from this disease in Africa, most of them in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Salesian missionaries in the DRC are attentive to this situation, which is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis caused by violence and internally displaced persons.

The increase in the number of mpox cases if overwhelming an already precarious system. The scientific community warns, in fact, that the increase is of great concern, especially due to the high number of infections among children. According to WHO data, more than 10,000 children up to the age of 15 were infected in 2024, and 39% of those infected are children under the age of five.

This epidemic represents a great risk for the country, since the population is already very vulnerable. Salesian missionaries working with displaced people in Goma explain their fears: “The displaced people living in the Don Bosco Ngangi camp are very exposed to this new MPOX epidemic. They live in overcrowded conditions, and the hygienic conditions are not the most adequate. Our doctors warn that these are people with an already very weak immune system and that an epidemic could have really dangerous effects.”

The alarm has already been raised because four cases of infection have occurred in the health area where the Don Bosco Ngangi center is located.

“Practices similar to those implemented to combat Covid must be put in place everywhere to avoid contagion,” the Salesians explain. “The epidemic emergency has already been declared, but many people are not yet aware of it and lead their daily lives normally. Awareness and prevention work will be essential to control the smallpox epidemic in monkeys,” they say.

The Salesians manage 33 works in 14 cities of the DRC, and their priority is the education and protection of young people. There are primary and secondary schools, vocational training centers, kindergartens for the youngest, and care and recovery centers for street children and girls in vulnerable situations. We also work with displaced populations and in areas where people live in extreme poverty.

Misiones Salesianas, the Salesian Mission Office in Madrid, ensures that it will work together with the DRC’s missionaries on 3 fronts: food security, schooling, and health support to protect children.