More than 280 cases of Monkeypox reported in early July

The Department of Health has presented the epidemiological report for week 27 (3 to 9 July) on the management of the Monkeypox incident.

During this week, 288 suspected cases, including 31 deaths (10.7 %), were reported. Four out of 26 provincial health divisions reported cases, representing 15 %, and 24 out of 519 health zones were affected, representing 5 %. DPS Équateur reported the highest number of cases, 63 % (182/288).

"In terms of the cumulative number of cases reported since the beginning of the year, DPS Ecuador has the highest number of cases, at 1939, representing 35 %. It has also recorded the highest number of deaths, 159, with a case-fatality rate of 8.2 %. The age group most affected was the 5 to 15 year-olds (30.7 %). There were more deaths among children aged between 1 and 5 (32.98 %)", says the Monkeypox management system.

Activities currently underway to combat Monkeypox include the receipt of 200 sampling kits from the School of Public Health and 200 kits from the WHO by the team already present in Bolamba, in the Équateur DPS. There is also a meeting to evaluate and supervise the general hospitals in Dikungu (Sankuru) and Yahuma (Tshopo) as regards the management of Monkeypox cases.