DR Congo Salesians, who house 30,000 people in camp, ask for help against monkeypox

The Salesians of Goma (Democratic Republic of Congo) are caring for 30,000 people in a camp for displaced persons there, fleeing the armed conflicts that are plaguing the country. From the knowledge that “They live in overcrowded conditions and the sanitary conditions are not the most suitable.”There are real concerns about the global spread of monkeypox (MPOX), which has already been classified as a pandemic.

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As the Salesian Mission explains in its statement: Camp residents ‘highly susceptible to this new epidemic’. In this sense, “our doctors warn that these are people with a weak immune system,” so “an outbreak could be very dangerous,” explain the Salesian missionaries working in Goma.

Four cases in the region

And we are not just facing a theoretical threat, but “the alarm has already been sounded, because in the health zone where the Don Bosco Nganga Centre is located, four cases have been registered. A situation that has broken the tense calm of these days“.

As Misiones Salesianas warns, “the country is experiencing a serious humanitarian crisis due to the war and the displacement of people. To this we must add a new epidemic and a very unstable health care system.“.

WHO warning

What he documents with alarming data: “The WHO (World Health Organization) declared an international health emergency over MPOX on August 14. after more than 15,000 cases and more than 500 deaths from the cause in Africa this year, most of them in DR Congo. The scientific community warns that the increase in this country is very alarming, especially due to the large number of cases among minors. According to this organization, this year 2024, more than 10,000 boys and girls under the age of 15 have been infected with MPOX, and children under the age of five account for 39%.

In conclusion, we note that it is necessary to act now: “Practices similar to Covid 19 should be followed everywhere to avoid infection.. An epidemic emergency has already been declared, but many people are still unaware of it and continue to go about their daily lives. “Information and prevention work will be vital to controlling MPOX.”

Protection of children and young people

The Salesian missionaries themselves, who have “33 jobs in 14 cities in the DR Congo,” have a lot to say about this: “Our priority is the education and protection of children and youth.. We have primary and secondary education centres, vocational training centres, kindergartens for the youngest children, care and rehabilitation centres for street children and girls in vulnerable situations… We work with displaced populations and in areas where the population lives in difficult conditions of vulnerability and poverty.”