The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday raised the alarm over a worsening health situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where cholera, measles, mpox, anthrax, and even the plague are destructive forces.
The WHO said the health crisis is made worse by violence, climate shocks, displacement, poverty, and malnutrition and is asking for an urgent increase in funding.
“In many parts of the country, particularly in eastern DRC, civilians are tragically caught in renewed fighting, and hospitals are overwhelmed with injured people,” said Boureima Hama Sambo, the WHO’s representative in DR Congo.
He said the DRC was grappling with its worst cholera outbreak since 2017 and that there were 470 deaths and 50,000 suspected cases registered in 2023.
In 2024, there have so far been 28,000 cases of measles and 750 deaths, the largest outbreak since 2019.
“Anthrax and plague have been also affecting the communities in eastern DRC in the last months,” Sambo said.
He also stated the DRC was dealing with the second-largest displacement crisis in the world after Sudan, noting 10 million people were displaced, with poverty and hunger impacting a quarter of the population.
“Close to 20 million people require health assistance in 2024,” he said, adding the response to the crisis continues to be “severely underfunded.”
Cases of mpox are spreading to previously unscathed provinces, including Kinshasa, and the WHO is worried it may expand into neighboring countries.
The proportion of deaths among cases is climbing and the fatality rate is seven percent this year, compared to less than 0.2 percent internationally.
