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More infectious strain of Mpox virus kills thousands in DRC

01 November 2024

World Council of Churches is working to support vulnerable children

Alamy

A resident is vaccinated against mpox in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, last Friday

A resident is vaccinated against mpox in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, last Friday

A NEW and more infectious strain of the virus mpox (News, 23 August) is causing alarm around the world, as it spreads into Europe.

The strain, known as Clade 1b, has been detected in Germany and Norway, as well as in India.

The new strain is highly infectious and spreads through close contact, including sexual contact. It causes fever and flu-like symptoms, and skin blisters. It was first detected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where thousands have been infected with the disease, and numbers have risen sharply in recent weeks.

Across Africa, at least 1000 people have died in this latest outbreak, although, in most cases, the infection is mild. The total number of suspected cases in Africa since the beginning of the year now stands at 42,438; 8113 have been confirmed as mpox, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

A vaccination campaign has been slow to progress, owing to a limited supply of the vaccine and overstretched health workers, but also because limited information is reaching at-risk areas. Most infection in the DRC so far has been found in children, but the current vaccine is not licensed for children.

World Vision is working in DRC and elsewhere to support the most vulnerable children. The east-zone director for the charity, David Munkley, said: “The mpox epidemic is increasingly alarming here in the DRC — it seems to have been forgotten despite the rising numbers: almost 36,000 suspected cases, and over 1000 deaths thus far, the majority of whom are children.

“In eastern DRC, where millions have been displaced from their homes due to continuing conflicts, the conditions in the camps for displaced people are atrocious. There’s simply not enough support for countless children and families, whether it be essential water provision, protection of children, essential health and nutritional support, and vaccination support.

“Our EMPOX programme, designed to support the most vulnerable children against mpox, requires further support to meet these increasing and emergency-level needs.”

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has published advice for faith communities on the part that they should play during the outbreak. It is calling on them not to stigmatise or blame people with mpox, but to spread a message of confidence in the vaccine in sermons and preaching.

Above all, faith communities should “create trust . . . so that affected people feel confident to communicate when they have symptoms”, the WCC guidance says. “Preach love and compassion for all people affected by diseases in faith communities and be part of the healing process.”

The WCC, in partnership with the Anglican University of Congo, brought together faith communities, from 14 to 18 October, including people living with HIV, to discuss both mpox and HIV. A communiqué issued at its conclusion said that faith leaders rejected the idea of “exclusive faith healing”.

“We, the participants and religious leaders, are aware of the positive role we can play in the response to these diseases,” the communiqué reads. “Faith is part of holistic healing, but we discourage the message of exclusive faith healing.”

One of the participants, Dr Jilson Morisho, said: “The faith and science must work together, as medicine and prayer are part of the same healing. Religious communities have the responsibility to educate their members about epidemics and pandemics. We can prevent mpox through information, behaviour change, and equal access to vaccines and diagnostics.”

The World Health Organization has just licensed the first diagnostic test for mpox. In August, it declared the new form of the virus a global health emergency, after the outbreak in DRC spread to neighbouring countries.

The first sign of the spread outside Africa was on 15 August, when global health officials confirmed an infection with a new strain of the mpox virus in Sweden.

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