Conflict in Goma Sets Back Battle Against Mpox Epidemic
Infectious Diseases 06/02/2025 •
Dr Yap Boum, Africa CDC’s deputy incident manager.

Parties embroiled in the conflict around Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are discussing a humanitarian corridor to enable supplies and staff to address the mpox outbreak, according to Dr Yap Boum, Africa CDC’s deputy incident manager for Africa.  Last week, the M-23 militia, reportedly supported by Rwanda, took over the strategically positioned city on the shores of Lake Kivu from DRC government forces, overwhelming hospitals with injuries, and sending hundreds of thousands of displaced people living in the vicinity into flight once again.  

Boum told the Africa CDC’s weekly briefing that 128 mpox patients had fled from health facilities in Goma during fighting and could be spreading the infectious disease in the community. Africa CDC is also concerned that incorrect handing of dead bodies may also result in disease.

Discussion is ongoing with the government and partners, on how to implement a humanitarian corridor so that the medical countermeasures can be sent to North Kivu, as well as the human resources to ensure doctors, infection control specialists and laboratory technicians are on site.

The DRC this week reported a decrease in the number of cases, but this may “because we no longer have data and testing being done in North Kivu”, said Boum. The National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) laboratory in Goma has stopped processing tests since the conflict began.

In the past week, there were 2,635 new cases (878 confirmed), and mpox 28 deaths. 

“The DRC, Uganda and Zambia are the countries where we still see an increased number of cases, and they currently represent 97.5% of all cases. “

In Burundi, we are now seeing a decrease in the number of suspected case, but also in the number of confirmed cases, which is a good news, knowing that the testing coverage is quite high.

Tanzania continues to battle with a Marburg outbreak, with one more person confirmed with the disease.

Meanwhile, Uganda continues to battle an Ebola outbreak with 10 suspected cases (only two confirmed).

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