More than 600 people infected with mpox have fled treatment centers in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to ongoing violence in the eastern part of the country. The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reported the situation during an online briefing on March 6, highlighting the challenges posed by insecurity to the country’s response to the outbreak. While over 150 of those who fled have since returned to treatment facilities in the eastern city of Bukavu, the fate of hundreds more remains unknown. The instability in the region continues to threaten public health efforts, making it difficult to contain the spread of the disease.
The DR Congo has been at the center of the latest mpox outbreak, which the Africa CDC classified as a “public health emergency of international concern” in 2024. Despite the worsening security situation, health officials noted a decline in the number of confirmed cases. However, the head of the Incident Management Team in DR Congo, Ngashi Ngongo, attributed this decline to reduced testing rather than an actual decrease in infections. The fighting has made it nearly impossible for medical teams to conduct thorough surveillance and testing in the most affected areas.
Efforts to vaccinate at-risk populations have continued in relatively stable regions of the country. According to Ngongo, more than 300,000 Congolese have received the mpox vaccine, with the majority of vaccinations taking place in the Kinshasa area. He also noted that there has been a significant decline in infections among healthcare workers, with cases dropping by over 50% due to improved training and prevention measures. The success of these initiatives highlights the importance of adequate healthcare infrastructure and resources in combatting infectious disease outbreaks.
Across Africa, more than 24,000 cases of mpox have been reported in 2025, with approximately 6,000 confirmed cases. Angola recently reported two new cases after going more than eight weeks without a confirmed infection. The disease remains active in 15 of the 22 African countries that have recorded cases. In the eighth week of 2025, over 600 new mpox infections were confirmed across 11 countries, indicating that the virus is still a significant public health threat.
In addition to mpox, African health officials are closely monitoring other disease outbreaks. The Africa CDC expressed concern over the recent resurgence of Ebola in Uganda, where several new cases were reported after three weeks without any confirmed infections. The Ugandan Ministry of Health had announced the outbreak in January, later confirming that it was caused by the Sudan strain of the virus. Experts have not found a direct epidemiological link between the new cases and the previous outbreak, raising concerns about the potential for further transmission.
Meanwhile, Tanzania is nearing the end of its Marburg virus outbreak, with no new cases reported in recent weeks. Health officials remain cautious but optimistic that the outbreak will soon be declared over. The ongoing health crises in multiple African countries underscore the need for strong disease surveillance systems and coordinated responses to prevent further spread of infectious diseases.
