Medair – Mpox emergency – GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo - 29 AUG 2024
Update from Pierre Olivier Ngadjole, Medair’s Medical Doctor and Health Advisor for Medair DRC, based in Goma.
“Medair has been active in the DRC since 1997, responding to the humanitarian needs of people affected by the long-running conflict here.
“Our team undertakes a wide range life-saving work in the country, across areas including health, nutrition, sanitation and infrastructure. Having been here for so long, we are very much part of the communities where we operate.
“People trust us because they see us every day, responding to the varied needs of displaced people. They also remember us being here and supporting them through disease outbreaks like Ebola, covid-19, cholera and most recently mpox.
“In mid-June 2024, we became the first organisation to respond to the outbreak of this new mpox (Clade-1) variant, when cases began emerging in the IDP camps where we are present, in North-Kivu.
“We immediately began planning with the provincial health authorities, working together to set up an isolation treatment centre in the regional hospital, as well as establishing a case management system to accurately monitor the spread of the virus and its impact on the local population.
“We already know that children are the most vulnerable - from mid-June to 25th August we saw 325 cases in our health facilities, 75% of them children under ten.
“We also know that 70% of these cases are from IDP camps, where life is tough and the conditions for infection are more prevalent. Hygiene conditions are often poor, with people struggling to access basics like water or soap. Access to latrine and washing facilities is limited and some households have as many as 15 people living together in small spaces. All these factors contribute to the rapid spread of the disease in IDP camps.
“Against this backdrop, we have recorded zero mpox deaths across our health facilities. I have no doubt this is because people trust Medair and are coming to us early.
“A huge challenge lies ahead, however. We have been working with the Ministry of Health to create a National Strategic Response Plan to this mpox outbreak.
“The plan has three pillars:
- Prevention. This involves a concerted effort to engage with the community, communicating the facts about mpox and sharing advice on how to prevent transmission. This includes the training and equipping of health staff and community workers.
- Case management. Accurate monitoring of cases is crucial. As soon as we identify mpox in patient and start to treat them, we are immediately reducing the risk of onward transmission.
- Co-ordination. This is not only a health crisis – it is a multi-sectoral crisis. We need a combination of things (sanitation, hygiene, medication) to contribute to the response against the mpox outbreak.
“We are encouraged to hear that vaccines have arrived this week in Kinshasa and hope that the government, the WHO and partner organisations like ours can collaborate effectively to implement a vaccination plan. It’s a real challenge, getting the vaccines to the most vulnerable groups, in a large country with a population of over 120 million. Of course, for us to be successful in overcoming this outbreak, we need funding.
“On behalf of all our patients, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity.”
Clarice, a Congolese national who has just returned to her community after recovering from the virus, told us:
"Medair gave me invaluable advice on preventative measures to avoid catching the disease again and provided me with a kit containing a bucket, soaps and jerry cans to help me improve hygiene. My return to the community wasn't easy. People were still scared, but I knew I was cured. I'm now making sure I follow the advice I've received and I'm also making my family aware of the dangers of mpox.
I am so grateful for the care I received. Thanks to Medair, I have my health and dignity back. Thank you for everything.”
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
If you would like to know more about Medair and how our in-country spokespeople can add unique insights and colour to a forthcoming story or report, we would love to hear from you.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us:
Medair UK Team
Edward Woods, Director, Medair UK. Edward.Woods@medair.org
Paul Winward, Marketing and Communications, Medair UK. Paul.Winward@medair.org
Medair UK Team. United.Kingdom@medair.org
Medair International team
Jean-Bernard Palthey, Engagement Director jean-bernard.palthey@medair.org
Tamara Berger, Field Communications Advisor Marketing & Relationships tamara.berger@medair.org
Medair in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Medair has been working in the DRC for 27 years, always striving to provide health and integrated services based on an effective understanding of the needs of those who live there.
Having recently responded to a cholera outbreak in the area around Goma, Medair’s teams have been well positioned to respond immediately to the outbreak of Mpox.
Medair was the international NGO on the ground in the area to do so, as cases started in two of the health facilities in the IDP camps where Medair offers primary health care services.
Six things you should know about Medair
- We were the first international NGO to be registered in Kyiv to provide humanitarian assistance following the outbreak of conflict in Ukraine on 24th February 2022.
- We are in 7 of the top 10 countries in the EU’s INFORM Risk Index of countries with the greatest humanitarian need.
- We responded to the 6th February 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria within 24 hours.
- We have a long history in Afghanistan and have been providing humanitarian aid since 1996. We are one of a handful of NGOs who have experience of – and are able to continue – working with the de facto authorities to deliver relief.
- We have remained present in Sudan since the outbreak of war on 15th April 2023, not dropping a day of life-saving humanitarian assistance and increased our reach into new regions.
- Another NGO said of us: “When the road ends, Medair keeps going.” This speaks of our commitment to helping people who could be forgotten or neglected because they are hard to reach – due to terrain, security conditions or lack of roads.
About Medair
We are a humanitarian aid charity who since 1989 has been responding to urgent health crises around the world, saving lives and relieving human suffering in some of the world’s most remote and devastated places.
Today we have over 1,500 employees worldwide, who are all humanitarian experts. Since our creation, we have helped more than 50 million people in 40 countries.
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