Hospitals in eastern Congo are struggling to manage the mpox outbreak as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advance, disrupting critical healthcare services.
The ongoing conflict has forced patients to flee, cut off vaccine supplies, and left hospitals under attack.
The region remains the epicenter of the health crisis, with a 31% weekly rise in cases bringing the total to 16,255, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, only seven of Congo’s 26 provinces reported cases last week, as the security crisis hampers disease tracking.
Health workers describe a dire situation. “The war has disrupted everything,” said Dr. Serge Munyahu Cikuru, medical officer for the Miti Murhesa health zone in South Kivu province.
The local treatment center is rapidly depleting medical supplies, leaving patients like Mubake Buroko Patrick struggling to access medication.
“The war has complicated our access to medicines,” he said. “I feel a little better, but the treatment needs improvement.”
More than 600 mpox patients have fled hospitals amid escalating violence.
The Miti Murhesa health zone, one of the hardest-hit areas, reported at least 4,700 cases by the end of 2024.
Only two of its four treatment centers remain operational.
As M23 rebels consolidate power in Goma, Bukavu, and beyond, health workers face immense challenges in tracking and treating patients.
“Our fear is an increase in cases due to the current situation,” Dr. Cikuru warned.