Outbreaks of anthrax and Mpox have compounded the ongoing security crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as worsening humanitarian needs and limited access have exposed critical gaps.
- •Anthrax, an infection caused by a spore forming bacteria, typically affects animals but can be transmitted to human beings.
- •Since late March, after the deaths of dozens of buffalo and hippopotamuses in Virunga National Park from anthrax poisoning, 16 suspected human cases of anthrax have been reported, including one confirmed case
- •The rapid territorial gains made by M23 have resulted in widespread displacement, including the flight of more than 660,000 from Goma after the Kinshasa government lost control of key cities in the region.
“While both mpox and anthrax typically affect livestock and other animals, food insecurity resulting from the ongoing conflict, paired with unsanitary living conditions in displacement camps, puts humans at greater risk of transmission,” the United Nations said on Friday.
Last August, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared the ongoing Mpox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS), the first such declaration by the agency since its inception in 2017. At least 13 African countries, including previously unaffected nations like Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, have reported Mpox outbreaks.
According to the UN, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is assessing the situation in eastern DRC ‘to determine the risk of the anthrax infection spreading further across the region.’
