In the heart of the mpox outbreak, nurses are on the frontlines, risking their health while battling the relentless virus. The BBC recently visited one of the epicentres of this epidemic, uncovering the fear and uncertainty that healthcare workers face daily.
A Strain on the Healthcare System
At the epicentre of the mpox crisis, healthcare workers are stretched to their limits. Nurses are particularly vulnerable, tasked with providing direct care to infected patients while grappling with insufficient protective equipment, long hours, and the emotional toll of the pandemic. Many work with constant fear of contracting the virus themselves, especially as protective measures are often inadequate in overwhelmed facilities.
“We’re doing everything we can, but it’s scary,” one nurse told the BBC, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “We don’t always have the right PPE, and we know how dangerous this virus is.”
The BBC’s visit underscored the challenging reality of these healthcare workers, many of whom have seen colleagues fall ill or be forced into quarantine after exposure. Their commitment remains unwavering, but morale is suffering.
Fear of the Virus
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that has garnered global attention due to its rapid spread and painful symptoms, including fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes. The outbreak has put healthcare workers in a precarious position. Nurses, who often have the closest interaction with patients, face the greatest risk of exposure.
In the epicentre of the outbreak, fear of infection looms large. The high transmissibility of mpox, coupled with the frequent shortage of protective gear, leaves many healthcare workers anxious. In some areas, misinformation about the virus has exacerbated this anxiety.
“We don’t know enough about it,” one nurse admitted. “People think it’s like COVID, but it’s different, and that’s part of what makes it scarier.”
The Emotional Toll
The emotional burden on nurses is profound. The BBC reported scenes of exhausted healthcare workers, some in tears after losing patients. Many are struggling to cope with the psychological strain of working in a high-stakes environment with no clear end in sight.
Nurses also bear the additional burden of being stigmatized by their own communities. Fearing that they might carry the virus home, some families and friends distance themselves from healthcare workers. This has led to feelings of isolation among those already overwhelmed by their professional responsibilities.
“It’s hard to go home at night knowing that I might have been exposed,” another nurse revealed. “I don’t want to put my family at risk, but I can’t just stop doing my job.”
A Call for Help
Despite the fear, nurses continue to show up for their shifts, determined to provide care to those in need. However, the demands of the pandemic have led to a growing call for more support. Many nurses interviewed by the BBC expressed frustration with the slow response from health authorities and the lack of resources provided to hospitals in affected regions.
“We need more PPE, more staff, and more support,” said one nurse. “We can’t keep fighting this virus with one hand tied behind our backs.”
Organizations have started to respond. International aid efforts are underway, with global health bodies working to deliver medical supplies, personal protective equipment, and vaccines to the hardest-hit areas. However, for many on the frontlines, help cannot come soon enough.
The BBC’s visit to the mpox epicentre has highlighted the courage and resilience of nurses working under extraordinary circumstances. These healthcare professionals, despite the fear and uncertainty, continue to put their lives on the line for their patients. But the cost is high, and the emotional, physical, and psychological toll on nurses is becoming increasingly evident. As the world watches, there is a growing understanding that these frontline workers need more support — not only to fight the virus but to protect their well-being as they navigate one of the most challenging healthcare crises of recent times.
Nurses Desperate for Mpox Vaccines at the Outbreak Epicentre in DR Congo
Medical staff on the frontlines of the mpox outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have expressed urgent pleas for vaccines to stem the rising tide of infections. At a treatment center in South Kivu province, where the outbreak is most severe, healthcare workers revealed to the BBC the growing number of patients—many of them babies—while dealing with a critical shortage of essential equipment.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a highly contagious disease that has claimed at least 635 lives in the DRC this year. Despite the arrival of 200,000 vaccine doses, donated by the European Commission, in Kinshasa last week, distribution across the country has yet to begin. For those working in the epidemic’s epicentre, like nurse Emmanuel Fikiri, the delay is disheartening.
“We’ve learned from social media that the vaccine is already available,” Fikiri told the BBC. Working at a clinic turned into a specialized center to combat the virus, Fikiri admits he lives in fear every day. With three young children at home, aged seven, five, and one, he worries about catching the virus and bringing it back to his family. “You saw how I touched the patients because that’s my job as a nurse. So, we’re asking the government to help us by first giving us the vaccines.”
The delay in distributing vaccines is partly due to logistical challenges. Mpox vaccines must be stored at precise temperatures below freezing to maintain their effectiveness. Additionally, rural areas like Kamituga, Kavumu, and Lwiro, where the outbreak is spreading rapidly, are difficult to reach. The poor infrastructure and bad roads mean helicopters may be needed to transport vaccines, which will further escalate costs in a country already struggling financially.
At the Lwiro community clinic, located an hour’s drive from Bukavu, South Kivu’s main city, the situation is dire. Overcrowding is evident as patients, some of them children as young as four weeks old, share limited resources, including seven beds and only two mattresses laid on the floor. Clean water is scarce, and healthcare workers are forced to ration what they have. The clinic, which usually treats around 80 patients monthly, has been overwhelmed with nearly 200 patients in just three weeks.
Dr. Pacifique Karanzo, who has been working tirelessly, appeared fatigued when the BBC spoke to him. Despite wearing a face shield, sweat ran down his face, and his frustration was palpable. “The patients are sleeping on the floor,” he said, exasperated. Alongside the overcrowding, there is also a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical staff. “We try to do what we can to look after the sick and not put ourselves at risk either. We’re not spared from disease,” Dr. Karanzo added.
As the outbreak intensifies, the cries of babies fill the clinic, and the stench of stagnant water lingers in the air. Among the youngest patients is four-week-old Murhula, who was rushed to the clinic by his mother, Faraja Rukara, an 18-year-old first-time mother. “It’s sad to see my firstborn suffering from this strange disease. I have a lot of pain in my heart,” she said.
The outbreak is also complicated by the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC between the military and several armed groups, including M23 rebels. This has significantly hindered the vaccination campaign. “The conflict is having a profound effect on the vaccination programme in general,” Dr. Gaston Bulambo, head of the North Kivu Provincial Health Division, told the BBC. “It’s not just vaccination against mpox, but all vaccination programmes are suffering because of difficulties in getting vaccines to health zones. This is due to the insecurity.”
Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki of South Kivu highlighted the broader challenges his province is facing, exacerbated by the influx of internally displaced people (IDPs) fleeing conflict. “Most of the money is being injected in tackling the war which is going on, to buy military equipment, to feed the military,” Sadiki said, adding that social development, including the health sector, is struggling as a result.
Despite these challenges, Sadiki remains optimistic that the outbreak will be contained. He announced plans to personally oversee the delivery of urgent medical supplies to Lwiro and expressed confidence in the government’s ability to mobilize more support from Kinshasa. Vaccination is set to begin in October, prioritizing children under 17 and individuals who have been in close contact with infected patients.
For now, awareness of mpox is growing, and more people are seeking treatment early, which has so far prevented fatalities at the Lwiro clinic. However, with over 5,000 confirmed cases in the DRC since the start of the year, the clinic’s staff emphasize that speed is of the essence. A swift rollout of vaccines, combined with medicine and better hygiene practices, is critical to curbing the outbreak.
The medics on the frontlines, though exhausted, are hopeful that the long-awaited vaccines will soon reach them, offering some respite in their fight against this relentless disease.
