<
https://theconversation.com/mpox-in-the-drc-residents-of-the-slum-at-the-centre-of-kinshasas-epidemic-have-little-chance-of-avoiding-this-major-health-crisis-247809>
"Walking through the crowded streets of the Pakadjuma neighbourhood in
Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, I am struck by the
vibrant atmosphere around me.
Children play happily in puddles, surrounded by piles of plastic bags and open
ditches of sewage. Shacks patched together from pieces of corrugated iron crowd
the settlement. Loud rumba music blasts through the air as young people enjoy
themselves in open bars, waiting for grilled pork or chicken to be served. Sex
workers sit outside tin shacks in narrow alleyways, calling for customers.
Nearby a Médecins Sans Frontières triage centre is the only reminder that this
slum area is the epicentre of the mpox epidemic in Kinshasa. There are no
posters, no pamphlets or banners warning residents of the dangers of this viral
disease that was declared a continental and global emergency in August last
year.
At the clinic, patients suspected to have mpox are sent to one of three
dedicated mpox centres in the city. Common symptoms include fever, headache,
muscle ache, chills, exhaustion, swollen lymph nodes and lesions. With
symptomatic care most patients get better in 7 to 35 days, depending on the
severity of the case.
As an epidemiologist co-leading the response to mpox for Africa Centres for
Disease Control and Prevention, I visited Pakadjuma to get a better sense of
the situation on the ground.
Mpox has historically been a rural disease in the DRC. This microcosm of
Kinshasa sheds light on the complex challenges of managing the outbreak in a
city."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
