A Glimmer of Hope: Mpox Cases Decline in South Kivu
Published on: 07/12/2024 – 18:08
1 min
Last sweep in the Lwiro Center, before the possible arrival of new patients, on this December morning. “Today, so far – it’s still 10:00 a.m. – we haven’t had any new cases yet,” Specifies, to RFI, Doctor Alfred, doctor at the Treatment Center Mpox de Lwiro, in the health zone of Mitimoressa.
“Here are the hospital rooms. At the moment we are not full. In any case, there are beds. We have bed capacity,” he adds.
Around 70 patients are currently hospitalized in this establishment. “When we opened here, patients were arriving at a severe stage but for the moment, we are seeing patients arriving at a mild stage, at a moderate stage,” further notes Doctor Alfred.
When it opened last August, the Center was overcrowded. Around 200 patients were hospitalized, recalls Dr Jean-Marie Tshibalanga, head of the Congolese NGO AIDS, supported by Unicef:
“With Unicef, we put in the beds, but the capacity was getting smaller and smaller. We reached a level where we had two patients per bed. This is how we considered adding tents, to avoid contamination. Today, we are going downhill and all this is the impact of all this support.”
In the South Kivu province, the second phase of vaccination is expected to begin next week, according to the national Minister of Health.
Also readMpox in the DRC: the launch of the vaccination campaign postponed
There is finally a bit of breathing room in the fight against Mpox in the South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This region, where the disease has hit hardest, is experiencing a significant decline in cases.
The Lwiro Treatment Center, bustling with activity just a few months ago, is now noticeably quieter.
“Today, so far – it’s still 10:00 a.m. – we haven’t had any new cases yet,” shares Dr. Alfred, glancing around the ward with a flicker of optimism in his eyes.
“There are rooms available. We haven’t reached full capacity, and there are beds ready. We have capacity,” he confirms, offering a sliver of hope in the ongoing battle against the virus.
Around 70 patients are currently receiving treatment at the center, a far cry from the 200 patients it struggled to accommodate when it first opened its doors in August. Dr. Jean-Marie Tshibalanga, head of the Congolese NGO AIDS, supported by Unicef, vividly recalls the desperate conditions they faced at the start of the epidemic in this region.
“We were overwhelmed,” he admits. “With Unicef’s support, we managed to put in additional beds, but the capacity was dwindling. We reached a point where we had two patients sharing one bed. To avoid further contamination, we even had to set up tents. Today, we’re seeing a downwards trend, and it’s all thanks to the collective support we’ve received.”
Turning a Tide: Vaccination Efforts Take Center Stage
Although vigilance remains paramount and the fight is far from over, the decline in cases is undoubtedly a testament to the tireless efforts of healthcare workers and the commitment to public health interventions.
Vaccination campaigns have played a crucial role in curbing the spread of the virus. As the second phase of vaccination is set to begin across South Kivu next week, this represents a further step toward building much-needed herd immunity.
The hope is that this multi-faceted approach will ultimately lead to the successful containment of the Mpox outbreak in the most affected regions. However, continuous surveillance, access to treatment, and community engagement remain vital components in the fight against the disease.
