"You see this kind of misinformation and it spreads [more] quickly than the normal information," said Dr Junior Mudji, chief of research at Vanga hospital in the west of the DRC. This highlights the formidable challenge health workers face in combating harmful myths that hinder vaccine acceptance.
Polling of almost 200,000 people in the DRC carried out this month by the UN children's agency, Unicef, found only 56% had heard of mpox. There was patchy knowledge of symptoms and of how the virus was transmitted and could be prevented. This indicates a significant gap in public awareness that medical campaigns must address.
Mistrust in medical institutions and treatments is in many cases a legacy of racist colonial policies. This deep-rooted skepticism complicates efforts to educate communities about vaccination and health interventions.
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