By James Kunda
LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa-CDC) is in talks with the Democratic Republic Congo government, and partners, seeking a humanitarian corridor to Goma amid conflict in the eastern city.
Yap Boum, a regional representative for Africa for Epicenter, told reporters during a virtual news conference Thursday the corridor was key in getting urgent humanitarian health services to Goma which only had 18 surgeons on the ground, with patients fleeing the crossfire posing a risk of disease spread.
“Air operations to north Kivu have been suspended and road operations compromised by M23 forces. We only have 18 surgeons on the ground in Goma. About 128 mpox patients fled the crossfire and while 16 were captured and brought back, the presence of the rest in the community poses a significant risk of disease spread,” Boum said.
About 2,900 people have been killed in violent clashes between M23 rebels and the DR Congo forces in Goma, leaving a severe humanitarian situation in the city which is the capital of North Kivu province, bordering Rwanda.
“We also need to secure our laboratory to ensure that we continue testing and contact tracing which are key to controlling the disease burden for mpox and prevent other outbreaks such as cholera and measles,” Boum added.
In the same briefing, Africa CDC chief of staff and head of the executive office, Ngashi Ngongo, said the effect of US aid cuts was yet to be felt on the ground.
“We have USAID as one of Africa’s biggest partners in public health and out of a commitment of $500 million, $314 million has already been disbursed so the impact of the aid cut is yet to be felt on the ground. We have not yet heard any changes to the GAVI vaccination program but we continue monitoring the situation,” Ngongo said, adding the US aid cut was a wakeup call for the continent to generate local public health support financing.