Urgent call for ceasefire, humanitarian aid as conflict in eastern DR Congo worries Africa health body

​​​​​​​James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) asked the international community on Thursday to call for an immediate ceasefire in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as the escalating conflict has worsened the humanitarian situation.

The head of the incident management support team of Africa CDC, based in the Congo, Ngashi Ngongo, said more than 2 million people have been displaced, with 500 active mpox cases fleeing treatment centers into communities, further risking disease spread.

"Widespread destruction has seen hospitals overwhelmed and infrastructure heavily damaged. Food, water and medical shortages have worsened the crisis, with reports of violence, sexual assaults and looting worsening insecurity," Ngongo said, adding international agencies were also evacuating non-essential staff.

An M23 rebel invasion has seen more than 3,000 killed and over 2,880 injured, with Ngongo saying the suspension of US aid to Africa had further crippled testing capacity for mpox, especially in eastern Congo.

"Samples now have to move for at least 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) to reach a testing facility and that is why we are asking for at least a humanitarian corridor to be established so that at least we can enhance the testing capacity in eastern DR Congo," he added.

Ngongo said the US aid freeze is anticipated to cost the continent $6 billion in annual health sector support, emphasizing an urgent need for domestic resource mobilization.

"The good news is that we have also secured an extension of the Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS), with the backing of the World Health Organization, and now we also see a reduction in the number of countries with active mpox cases from 22 to 14," he added about the program launched in last August.