Transcript of Mpox vaccination campaign under way in DRC | BBC News

An Mpox vaccination campaign targeting high-risk groups is underway in Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Health Ministry in Kinshasa says that it's an attempt to curb the spread of the virus, which has killed close to a thousand people this year. More than 200,000 doses of the Mpox vaccine have been donated by the EU and the US. For more, here's the BBC World Services Africa Regional Editor, Richard Kagoi.

Congolese health officials today Today launched the country's first Mpox vaccination in the Eastern city of Congo. Well, the ceremony, which was presided over by senior government officials, now sets the stage for what you would consider to be considered to be a key effort in containing the outbreak that has spread across the country's 26 provinces, and also from the epicenter in the east of the country to more than 15 countries in the continent. According to the country's Health Minister, about a thousand people have been killed since the emergence of a very deadly strain of Mpox was detected in the east of the country. Now, this is a very unique vaccination campaign because It's specifically targeted at people who are at high risk. So for instance, those who have pre-existing conditions, those who are weak or immunocompromised. It's also targeted at health workers who are literally in the front line and also sex workers as well, and people who are involved in cross-border trade, and anyone who has been exposed to a suspected case. So the exercise, which began in Goma today, will expand from the city, which is the regional city in the east of the country, to North Kivu province and South Kivu province, which have been quite affected by the outbreak.

Richard Kigui reporting there.