Crisis Deepens in DR Congo as Over 500 Mpox Patients Escape Clinics Amid Rebel Conflict

In a worsening humanitarian crisis, more than 500 mpox patients have fled from healthcare facilities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo over the last month due to escalating violence between M23 rebels and government forces. With an alarming rise in cases reported, health officials from Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) are increasingly concerned that the fleeing patients could hasten the spread of the highly contagious disease, which tragically claimed around 900 lives in the country last year.Several health clinics, including those in the chaotic cities of Goma and Bukavu, have been rendered nearly inoperable. Amidst the violence, looters have destroyed essential equipment and medication. Dr. Samuel Muhindo, who manages the Mugunga health centre in Goma, recounted the harrowing moment when 128 patients fled the facility at the end of January, making it impossible for staff to track their whereabouts due to lost records and destroyed paperwork. The situation at Bisengimana Hospital in Goma is equally dire; it sustained severe damage as looters took medicines and personal protective equipment, igniting fires nearby the center. With the M23 rebels previously displacing tens of thousands of residents, the current conflict has further complicated the response to the mpox outbreak.Fears of an outbreak are amplified as patients-led diaspora begin returning to areas affected by the conflict. Dr. Muhindo stated, "Now we are afraid for an outbreak of the epidemic in the areas where displaced individuals have returned." Echoing his concerns, Dr. Ngashi Ngongo from the Africa CDC emphasized a strong need for a ceasefire and for humanitarian corridors to support ongoing mpox interventions. Recent developments indicate that the number of missing mpox patients has surged as fighting has intensified, alongside the emergence of a new variant of mpox noted for potentially increased transmissibility. While the Mugunga treatment facility has reopened, it is overwhelmed, with patients frequently having to share beds.Among those seeking treatment is Sadiki Bichichi Aristide, a 23-year-old who fled the M23 occupation in Minova, only to contract mpox while staying at a refugee camp. Narrating his ordeal, Sadiki recounted developing lesions which prompted him to escape to Mugunga with his children, leaving his wife behind. Dr. Oummani Rouafi of Unicef reported the reopening of the Mugunga hospital was solely due to staff's successful concealment of some medical supplies from looters, contrasting starkly with the total devastation observed at other healthcare centers. As the crisis unfolds, the urgency to reestablish health services and control the mpox outbreak in the DR Congo has never been more pressing.