By Haruna Gimba
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) is supporting the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with $9.5 million for its emergency mpox response.
The support is at the request of the DR Congo government in six of the highest transmission provinces of Equateur, Sud-Ubangui, Sankuru, Tshopo, Sud-Kivu, Nord-Kivu, as well as in Kinshasa, a province with a high population density and 17 million people.
DRC is currently battling the largest mpox epidemic in the world with 5,160 confirmed cases and 25 deaths since the beginning of this year.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says testing coverage in DRC remains low due to limited testing capacity and availability, and the number of suspected cases is around five times the number of laboratory-confirmed cases.
By working through the priority areas of the government’s National Preparedness and Response Plan, the Global Fund’s support will contribute to: Enhancing disease surveillance systems, with special emphasis on strengthening early warning capabilities – including community-based surveillance – and alert and response systems to detect, monitor and respond to mpox and other disease outbreaks.
Strengthening laboratory systems and diagnostics to increase case detection and stop the spread of the disease.
Conducting risk communication and community mobilization and engagement.
Building on the network of community health workers and other community actors already deployed for HIV, TB and malaria prevention and awareness-raising will ensure people have the information they need to protect themselves and reduce stigma associated with mpox.
Implementing infection prevention and control measures to protect health workers who are caring for sick patients, including at the community level.
Reinforcing country-level coordination, planning and support for emergency response and operations, including support for community involvement in the response and donor coordination.
Strengthening the capacity of health facilities to not only provide primary health care services to manage mpox, but also to support future emergencies affecting children and high-risk adults, as well as displaced and vulnerable populations.
Strengthening existing health facilities also helps health workers address other infectious diseases such as cholera, meningitis and measles.
“Our partnership with the Global Fund and other health partners has a proven track record in reducing infectious diseases,” said Dr. Roger Kamba, Minister of Health and Social Welfare of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“Over the past two decades, the number of AIDS-related deaths and new HIV infections in DRC have reduced by more than 60%, through coordination and collaboration across all our partners, and we are determined to continue to work in the same manner for a strong response to mpox.
The fight against the current mpox epidemic is a top priority for our ministry, especially through the reinforcement of the community response. It is essential to recognize that by acting now, we are not only fighting mpox but also investing in the resilience and health security of tomorrow.”
The support from the Global Fund will also boost the ongoing collaboration among DRC’s Ministry of Health, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, WHO, humanitarian organizations and other key partners to address the severe challenges to the public health system in eastern DRC, where the mpox epidemic is converging with risks of other infectious diseases in the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
“People living in areas of conflict and crises often face significant barriers to accessing health services due to damaged infrastructure, insecurity and a shortage of trained health personnel and supplies,” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund.
“When a disease outbreak occurs in these places, the challenges are compounded. Strong systems of trusted community health workers, health educators and other local responders are essential for stopping disease spread.”
The stigma associated with epidemics such as mpox also delays patients seeking care.
“In a disease outbreak, immediate intervention is crucial to strengthen systems for health and improve disease detection, surveillance and response mechanisms, aiming to prevent further deterioration in health outcomes, particularly for women, children and internally displaced persons,” said Mark Edington, Head of Grant Management at the Global Fund.
Already in this mpox epidemic, the Global Fund has supported moving available stocks of personal protective equipment like medical gloves, masks and gowns to the most affected provinces.
The epidemiology of mpox has continued to evolve in complex ways, which has important implications for prevention, preparedness and response efforts. Mpox is increasingly being associated with HIV.
HIV is heightening the risk of mpox transmission, illness and death in people with weak immune systems and with advanced HIV. Investing in a country’s mpox efforts helps strengthen their work to stop the spread of HIV and vice versa.
With cumulative investments of almost $3.2 billion since 2003, DRC and the Global Fund have been collaborating to combat HIV, tuberculosis and malaria and strengthen systems for health.
The Global Fund is encouraging other affected countries to assess their mpox needs and consider repurposing existing Global Fund investments to respond.
