Image credit: US CDC/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

The UK-PHRST has deployed two of its experts to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to support Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC) in its response to the ongoing mpox epidemic.

The deployment is supported by the British Embassy in Kinshasa and will involve a UK-PHRST field epidemiologist and an Infection Prevention and Control specialist. Under the direction of Africa CDC, the UK-PHRST experts will work in collaboration with other partners to provide a wide range of technical, strategic and tactical inputs to the joint World Health Organization (WHO)- Africa CDC continental incident management team.

Dr Ed Newman, UK-PHRST Director said:

“The UK Public Health Rapid Support team ensures that our expertise in tackling infectious disease outbreaks is rapidly available to support countries who are responding to public health emergencies.

“Our staff will provide specialist support to colleagues at Africa CDC and the joint continental incident management team as they work to manage the ongoing mpox epidemic, as well as using this learning to further strengthen UK preparedness.”

Africa CDC Director General, H.E Dr. Jean Kaseya said:

"Africa is facing significant public health challenges with the mpox and Marburg virus outbreaks. The UK’s vital support—through both financial assistance and technical expertise—comes at a crucial moment.

This partnership will bolster our efforts to contain these outbreaks, enhance disease surveillance, and strengthen healthcare systems in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and beyond.

Together, we are not just responding to immediate threats, but building stronger, more resilient systems to safeguard the health of millions across the continent."

The deployment comes following the declaration of mpox as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security by Africa CDC and a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the WHO. A recent report from the WHO estimated that there have been over 36,000 suspected cases of mpox in Africa since the beginning of 2024, resulting in almost 1,000 deaths.

This deployment continues the UK-PHRST’s long-standing experience in supporting countries during disease outbreaks at the invitation of a host government or in response to requests made by multinational partners such as Africa CDC, the WHO or via the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN).

For example, in recent years, UK-PHRST staff have been deployed to several countries across Africa – including the Democratic Republic of the Congo – to support a range of infectious disease outbreak responses, including Ebola, cholera and yellow fever outbreaks.

The UK-PHRST has also worked closely with Africa CDC over almost a decade to support the creation of its own public health response team – the Africa Volunteer Health Corps.

In addition to the deployment, the UK has announced additional financial support up to £9 million unlocked from the existing Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, to bolster the national response in DRC, the epicentre of the mpox outbreak, and across the wider affected region. This includes additional funds to strengthen the UK's existing partnership with UNICEF in DRC. Funds will assist partners to strengthen surveillance systems, reinforce local health services and work with communities to raise awareness of risks and personal protective measures.