Kinshasa, June 23rd, 2025 (CPA).- A batch of 100,000 doses of ‘MVA-BN’ vaccines, donated by the French Republic to combat Mpox (monkey pox) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been delivered on Monday in Kinshasa to the Ministry in charge of Public Health, has learned CPA from a press release. ‘The MVA-BN vaccine, approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is recognised for its effectiveness in preventing monkey pox. This batch of 100,000 doses will significantly strengthen the on-going vaccination campaign by targeting the most exposed populations,’ has said the statement. ‘This donation is part of the strengthening of bilateral cooperation between France and DRC and supports the Congolese government’s efforts to combat the monkey pox epidemic,’ has added the Ministry in charge of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare in its statement. In addition to the ‘MVA-BN’ vaccine”, has continued the source, the country is also using the Japanese ‘LC16m8’ vaccine, for which the vaccination campaign was launched on June 14th 2025 in the Bumbu health zone in Kinshasa. According to the same source, vaccination now targets both adults and children aged 1 year and older, thereby expanding the population’s protection against the disease. It noted that a national roadmap is being finalised to enable a gradual and coordinated expansion of vaccination coverage across the country.
Decline in Mpox cases in the 24th epidemiological week
In addition, the statement has indicated that the country saw a decline in Mpox cases during the 24th epidemiological week (June 9th to 14th). « The hospital bed occupancy rate has now stabilised at 26% nationally, reflecting a significant decrease in severe cases. Laboratory data confirm… that the positivity rate of samples has been gradually decreasing for several weeks, » has specified the source. The Congolese health authorities, with the support of partners such as France, are continuing their commitment to eradicating Mpox in the country by strengthening vigilance, especially in areas with high community transmission.