UMC health facilities prepared and responding to mpox cases

ATLANTA –Mpox, previously known as Monkey Pox, was so-named because it was first found in a distinct species of monkeys in Central and West Africa rainforests. But squirrels, pouched rats, mice and several other species have also been found to pass on this virus, which, when contracted by humans, is similar to smallpox.

The Africa Center for Disease Control reported that at least 13 African countries, including previously unaffected nations like Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, have reported mpox outbreaks, with suspected cases across the continent surging past 17,000, a significant increase from 7,146 cases in 2022 and 14,957 cases in 2023.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the countries with limited access to testing and care where the Global Ministries’ Global Health unit supports United Methodist health facilities, reported most (96%) of the confirmed mpox cases.

Dr. Damas Lushima, the UMC Health Board Coordinator for the East Congo Episcopal Area, notified Global Health staff: “The mpox situation has affected three provinces in the East of the republic and the situation is becoming worrying in South Kivu, North Kivu and Maniema.” Maniema province, with its capital in Kindu, is where the East Congo Episcopal Area offices are headquartered.

Dr. Megh Raj Jagriti, a program manager for Global Health, said that in recent weeks there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of countries in the WHO African region reporting mpox cases and outbreaks with almost 1,000 new cases reported in June 2024 alone, bringing the total number of cumulative suspected cases to 14,091: 2,673 confirmed cases and 511 deaths (majority in the DRC) by July 22, 2024.

The Global Health unit is providing technical resources, assistance and recommendations to United Methodist health board partners across Africa that are affected by this current mpox outbreak. When public health emergencies arise, UMC-supported health boards are equipped to respond because of the routine support they receive annually from Global Health. East Congo, Central Congo, North Katanga and South Congo health boards have all received various Global Ministries annual grants since 2017 to maintain adequate medicines and medical supplies, build new water facilities in selected sites, refurbish buildings and wards, and provide specialized training to medical personnel for sustainable health outcomes.

Roland Fernandes, Global Ministries’ general secretary, noted: “We are committed to ensuring that vulnerable communities are safe and protected from disease outbreaks and other health emergencies. We do this by strengthening the health systems of the health board partners to detect, evaluate and respond in a timely and sustainable manner to this and other kinds of health emergencies.”

Christie R. House is a consultant writer and editor with Global Ministries and UMCOR.

Global Health
Through United Methodist conferences and health boards, Global Ministries works to strengthen whole networks of health responses, from revitalization of facilities and staff training to building better water sources, developing sanitation facilities and promoting nutrition. Global Health concentrates on eradicating preventable diseases, such as malaria, HIV and AIDS, and COVID-19, and supporting the most vulnerable populations, including mothers, newborns and children.

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