The Democratic Republic of Congo has declared its two-year mpox outbreak officially over. On 2 April 2026, Health Minister Dr Roger Kamba announced that the clade Ib/IIb emergency — which claimed more than 2,200 suspected lives and strained one of Africa’s most fragile health systems — is no longer a national public-health threat. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has welcomed the milestone as a major victory for the continent, but warned that the virus remains a latent risk and that sustained vigilance is essential.
After more than two years of relentless struggle, the Democratic Republic of Congo has turned a corner. On Thursday 2 April 2026 the country’s Health Minister, Dr Roger Kamba, stood before the nation and declared the mpox outbreak officially over. The virus that first exploded in eastern provinces in late 2023, spreading rapidly through close contact and overwhelming already fragile health systems, had finally been brought under control.
The numbers tell a sobering story. More than 2,200 suspected deaths were recorded, with thousands more confirmed cases across 26 of the DRC’s 26 provinces at the peak. Yet the announcement marks one of the most significant public-health victories on the continent in recent years — achieved not through outside rescue missions, but through local leadership, African-led vaccination campaigns and determined community action.
How the Turnaround Happened
The decline in cases was driven by a combination of factors that Africa CDC Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya described as “a masterclass in African public-health resilience”. Targeted vaccination using the available mpox vaccines reached high-risk groups in the hardest-hit provinces. Enhanced surveillance systems, supported by the Africa CDC and partners, allowed rapid detection and isolation of new clusters. Community health workers, many of them women in the affected villages, played a decisive role in contact tracing and public education.
Crucially, the response was African-owned. While international partners provided technical support and some vaccine doses, the strategy, logistics and messaging were led from Kinshasa and the provincial capitals. That local ownership, say experts, is what made the difference between containment and catastrophe.
Echoes of the Global Mpox Waves
The DRC outbreak was the deadliest chapter in the broader mpox story that began in 2022. When the virus first spilled beyond Africa, the world focused on the sexual networks affecting gay and bisexual men in Europe and the Americas. In Africa the burden was different — and far heavier. Clade Ib and IIb strains spread through close household contact, particularly in overcrowded refugee camps and mining communities. Limited vaccine access and fragile health infrastructure meant the continent carried the heaviest load even as global attention faded.
The DRC’s success therefore carries extra weight. It shows that even in the most challenging settings, mpox can be beaten when political will, community trust and scientific tools align.
Africa CDC: Celebration Mixed with Caution
Africa CDC has been quick to celebrate. In its latest weekly briefing the agency noted a sharp continent-wide decline in mpox cases in the first quarter of 2026 compared with 2025. Yet the message was measured. “This is a win for African sovereignty in health,” Dr Kaseya said, “but we cannot declare total victory. The virus still circulates at low levels, and new outbreaks remain possible.”
The warning is grounded in hard reality. Many African countries still rely heavily on external funding, including shifts in US PEPFAR support that have left gaps in surveillance and laboratory capacity. Without sustained domestic investment, the gains of the past two years could be reversed by the next zoonotic spillover.
What This Means for South Africa
For South Africa the risk is currently low. No sustained local transmission has been recorded, and the country’s robust surveillance system — strengthened during COVID-19 — continues to monitor travellers and border areas. But cross-border movement remains a factor. With ongoing debates around fuel prices, migration and informal trade routes between South Africa and its northern neighbours, health officials are maintaining vigilance at ports of entry.
The DRC success offers practical lessons for Pretoria. Strong community engagement, rapid response teams and clear public messaging worked in one of the continent’s toughest environments. Those same tools could accelerate South Africa’s rollout of other breakthrough interventions — most notably the new six-monthly injectable HIV prevention jab currently being piloted. The mpox response proved that when African systems are properly supported, they can deliver results that once seemed impossible.
A Sovereignty Win — and a Reminder
The end of the DRC mpox emergency is more than a statistical milestone. It is proof that African public-health systems, when given the tools and the trust, can rise to the challenge. It is also a reminder that victories in global health are never final. Climate change, deforestation and intensified human-animal contact mean new zoonotic threats will keep emerging.
Africa CDC’s call for continued investment in local manufacturing of vaccines and diagnostics, stronger regional surveillance networks and predictable domestic funding is therefore timely. The mpox outbreak strained fragile systems to breaking point. Its defeat shows what is possible when those systems are strengthened rather than bypassed.
Looking Ahead
For the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo the announcement brings relief and cautious hope. Families who lost loved ones, health workers who toiled for months without rest, and communities that lived under the shadow of the virus can now begin to rebuild. For the rest of Africa it is a moment of collective pride — and a call to keep the momentum going.
The virus has not disappeared. But for the first time in more than two years, the Democratic Republic of Congo can say with confidence that mpox is no longer a national emergency. That single declaration, hard-won and long overdue, stands as one of the most important public-health stories of 2026 so far.