Kinshasa: Over 14,000 individuals have been vaccinated against mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of an ongoing campaign aimed at combating the disease, according to health officials. According to Ghana News Agency, since the launch of the vaccination campaign in early October, approximately 14,180 people have been inoculated across three provinces. The ministry disclosed this information on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The initial phase of the vaccination drive began on October 5 in Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province. Health Minister Roger Kamba, at a press conference on October 4, revealed the country's strategy to vaccinate around 2.5 million people using 3,500,000 doses of the vaccine. He also noted that about 265,000 doses were currently available. The urgency of the vaccination campaign is underscored by a recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO), which identified the DRC as the epicenter of the mpox epidemic in Africa. The country has r ecorded 31,350 suspected cases of mpox this year, including 992 fatalities, and 6,169 confirmed cases, with 25 deaths. The report highlighted challenges such as late diagnosis and difficult access to treatment, contributing to a higher mortality rate in the country. Only 41 percent of suspected cases have been tested in 2024, indicating significant gaps in disease surveillance and response. The African continent as a whole is facing a severe mpox outbreak, with 36,787 suspected cases and 998 deaths reported as of October 6. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security in mid-August, followed by the WHO declaring mpox a public health emergency of international concern, marking the second such declaration in two years. Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is transmitted through close contact and is characterized by symptoms such as fever, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, muscle aches, skin rash, and back pain.