Mpox had been spreading mostly undetected for years in Africa, until a 2022 outbreak reached more than 70 countries.

A gold-mining town in eastern Congo has emerged as a hotspot for mpox as a new strain spreads, the Associated Press (AP) has reported. Kamituga is part of the South Kivu province, where more than 6,000 people are suspected to have contracted the virus.

Miners, sex workers and traders pass through the remote town of Kamituga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has been singled out as a major infection hotspot in the mpox outbreak

A new strain of mpox is ravaging eastern Congo, particularly affecting children and pregnant women. The lack of funding, vaccines, and public awareness is hindering containment efforts.