A major campaign to vaccinate tens of thousands of children in eastern Congo’s Masisi Territory pushed ahead on Monday, as local health officials continued battling a surging measles outbreak that has left countless children ill.
Local medical teams, supported by MSF, were called in as the outbreak intensified in recent months, spreading rapidly amid ongoing conflict in a region that now faces one of the world’s worst displacement crises.
In Rubaya, parent Silas Bazimaziki Rugiriki arrived with his son for vaccination. He said many families realized something was wrong when children in the community began falling sick.
“Since we understand the vaccine protects children, we were glad to bring them,” he said. “That’s why we came, so the children could be immunized against this epidemic.”
At Kachehembe hospital’s measles isolation ward, the room is crowded with mothers holding their young ones.“I first thought it was only a fever, then I noticed it was measles,” said 21-year-old mother Irène Shashire. She came to the hospital after hearing treatment was available, explaining that the infection was just another hardship in her struggle to care for her child.
“We survived the war with nothing, no money. We were afraid,” she added.Dr. Toussaint Selemani, who leads MSF’s measles response, said waves of displacement have made the situation even harder.
“Our vaccination target has already been exceeded,” he explained. “Why? Because people keep moving.”
He noted that the region is battling multiple outbreaks at once, including cholera and mpox.
Rubaya holds one of the world’s richest coltan deposits, and Rwanda-backed rebels seized the mine from government forces last year, with accusations of smuggling minerals out of the country.
Masisi Territory, home to Rubaya has been under M23 control since the rebels captured vast areas earlier this year, including the eastern hubs of Goma and Bukavu.
Their advances have caused about 3,000 deaths this year and worsened an already severe humanitarian disaster, displacing roughly 7 million people.
Despite peace efforts calming some areas, clashes continue and civilians are still being killed.
