DR CONGO: An mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 548 people since the start of the year, with all provinces affected by the virus, the health minister said on Thursday in a statement.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared the mpox surge in Africa a global public health emergency, worried by the rise in cases in the DRC and the spread to nearby countries.

“According to the latest epidemiological report, our country has recorded 15,664 potential cases and 548 deaths since the beginning of the year,” Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said in a separate video message seen by AFP on Thursday.

The DRC is made up of 26 provinces and has a population of around 100 million.

The most affected provinces are South Kivu, North Kivu, Tshopo, Equateur, North Ubangi, Tshuapa, Mongala and Sankuru, Kamba said.

“To deal with this crisis, the government has put in place a response structured around three main axes,” Kamba said in the video.

The three steps include plans to raise awareness of the virus and a “national strategic plan for vaccination against mpox”, as well as improving surveillance of the disease at borders and checkpoints.

The minister said that at government level working groups have been set up to boost contact tracing and help mobilise resources to “maintain control of this epidemic”.