DRC: Seven provinces targeted for measles and rubella vaccination

Kinshasa, November 24^th, 2025 (CPA).- Seven (7) provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been targeted by the measles and rubella (MR) vaccination campaign, launched on Monday in Kinshasa, the country’s capital, by the Minister in charge of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare, during a press briefing. ‘This campaign will gradually reach all provinces, but we are starting with seven provinces, namely Bas-Uélé, Haut-Uélé, Ituri, Tanganyika, Haut Lomami, Lualaba and Haut-Katanga, to cover approximately 17 million children aged 6 months to 14 years,’ has declared Dr Roger Samuel Kamba, Minister in charge of Health. ‘With the introduction of these two vaccines in a single dose, we are reducing the logistical risk and we are optimising the distribution chain and the service provided by healthcare providers so that we do not have to return to the same place twice,’ has added the minister. Dr Kamba has explained that this vaccine will enable the country to achieve the objectives set by the President of the Republic, in particular improving the health of the population. In addition, Dr Audry Mulumba, general director of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), has indicated that the country is facing recurrent outbreaks of measles and rubella. « From the first epidemiological week to the 44^th week (October 27^th to November 2^nd) of 2025, the measles situation is as follows: 66,982 cases recorded, including 981 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 1.50%. 176 health zones in epidemic… for these two vaccination campaigns, the target is to vaccinate 95% of the children targeted, » he has said.  Rubella, he has continued, is a growing public health problem in DRC, with an increase in cases over the last five years, and the introduction of this vaccine will strengthen the protection of children and contribute significantly to the elimination of these diseases. ‘The introduction of the RR vaccine will prevent thousands of cases of Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) and reduce measles-related immunity gaps… affecting more than 7 million children under the age of five by December 31^st, 2026. The RR vaccine will be introduced immediately into the routine vaccination schedule…’, he has said. To achieve the assigned objectives, Dr Mulumba has noted that the involvement, the commitment and the community mobilisation of stakeholders, civil society and religious leaders is of great importance. Measles is an infectious viral disease and rubella is a contagious viral disease that causes irreversible sequelae in the pregnant women and the new-borns.