DR Congo secures only 42% of Mpox response funding
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has mobilised just 42% of the funding required to respond to the ongoing Mpox epidemic, leaving a gap as international support wanes.
According to official figures, the DRC has secured US$20.9 million of the US$44 million needed for the national Mpox response plan, leaving a shortfall of US$23 million, or 58% of the required funding.
The gap is particularly concerning in light of the suspension of humanitarian aid from the United States, previously the country’s largest donor via USAID, local news portal Actualite reports.
The U.S. funding freeze has raised fears of a resurgence in infectious diseases, particularly in eastern DRC, where armed conflict and population displacement continue to hinder health interventions.
In response, President Félix Tshisekedi has directed his government to explore alternative solutions to cushion the impact of the suspended aid.
The DRC officially declared a Mpox epidemic in early 2022. Since then, the disease has spread to all 26 provinces, fueled by a mutated strain of the virus that facilitates rapid human-to-human and sexual transmission.
From January 2024 to mid-March 2025, the country reported 89,903 suspected Mpox cases, including 16,782 confirmed infections and 1,684 deaths — figures that highlight the urgency of the situation.
