Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo – The Democratic Republic of Congo declared on Thursday the end of a two-year monkeypox outbreak.
It confirmed that the disease no longer constitutes a national health emergency, following a decline in infection and mortality rates.
Official announcement of the end of the outbreak
Congo Health Minister Roger Kamba announced that health authorities have officially declared the outbreak over.
He explained that the epidemiological situation is now under control and the disease no longer poses the widespread threat it once did.
He added that the decision followed close monitoring of the virus’s spread and confirmed a significant decrease in new cases recently.
Infection and death toll
The outbreak is estimated to have caused more than 2,200 deaths within the country.
Health authorities have recorded approximately 161,000 suspected cases since 2024,
with nearly 37,000 of those confirmed through laboratory testing.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has been a major epicenter of the disease in Africa.
It has also spread to several neighboring countries, prompting international health organizations to sound the alarm at the height of the crisis.
International background to the crisis
The World Health Organization previously declared a global health emergency due to the spread of monkeypox across borders.
However, it lifted the emergency declaration last September as the number of cases declined globally.
The Democratic Republic of Congo declaration is a significant step in containing the disease.
This comes amid calls to continue monitoring the health situation and strengthen preventive measures to prevent any future outbreaks.
