Second edition of the Advanced Course on mpox: the DRC at the heart of international public health training
Second edition of the Advanced Course on mpox: the DRC at the heart of international public health training
From October 6 to 11, 2025, the INRB (National Institute for Biomedical Research) in the Democratic Republic of Congo hosted the second edition of the Advanced Course on Mpox.
La RDC, berceau de l’expertise sur le mpox
Organized as part of the PRISME DRC program (International Research Platform for Global Health in the Democratic Republic of Congo), coordinated by Prof. Steve Ahuka Mundeke (INRB) and Dr. Martine Peeters (IRD), this five-day training course brought together public health and research professionals.
This initiative responds to a need to strengthen the knowledge and skills required to manage the mpox virus health crisis more effectively.
“This second course on mpox highlights that there is no better place to learn about mpox than in the DRC, where the disease was first described in 1970, and because the DRC has developed expertise in collaboration with its partners on controlling this disease,” said Prof. Steve Ahuka Mundeke, coordinator of PRISME-RDC.
The Congolese participants, who came from Kinshasa and several provinces across the country, were joined by several international participants. Four of them received joint financial support from IRD and ANRS, co-financed by the FEF-AFROSCREEN project.
The course was also accessible remotely to members of the AFROSCREEN Laboratory Working Group, thus extending the impact of this training beyond the borders of the Congo.
A comprehensive and immersive program
The course offered a combination of theory and practice through various modules:
- The history and evolution of the disease
- Clinical signs and diagnosis
- Epidemiology
- The organization of the health response
- The link between research and intervention
- Available treatment options
- The social and anthropological dimensions of the disease
In addition to classroom sessions, participants also benefited from group work sessions and a field visit to a neighborhood identified as a disease hotspot in Kinshasa.
“My participation in the second advanced course on MPOX in the DRC has enabled me to strengthen my ability to identify cases of mpox compared to other orthopoxviruses that we encounter,” said Professor Anges Yadouleton, director of the Hemorrhagic and Viral Fevers Laboratory in Benin, who participated in the second edition of the advanced course on mpox.
See you in October 2026
In light of the very positive feedback from participants regarding the relevance and quality of the training, the organizing committee has already confirmed that the third edition of the Advanced Course on MPOX by PRISME-DRC will be held in October 2026.
From October 6 to 11, 2025, the INRB (National Institute for Biomedical Research) in the Democratic Republic of Congo hosted the second edition of the Advanced Course on Mpox.
La RDC, berceau de l’expertise sur le mpox
Organized as part of the PRISME DRC program (International Research Platform for Global Health in the Democratic Republic of Congo), coordinated by Prof. Steve Ahuka Mundeke (INRB) and Dr. Martine Peeters (IRD), this five-day training course brought together public health and research professionals.
This initiative responds to a need to strengthen the knowledge and skills required to manage the mpox virus health crisis more effectively.
“This second course on mpox highlights that there is no better place to learn about mpox than in the DRC, where the disease was first described in 1970, and because the DRC has developed expertise in collaboration with its partners on controlling this disease,” said Prof. Steve Ahuka Mundeke, coordinator of PRISME-RDC.
The Congolese participants, who came from Kinshasa and several provinces across the country, were joined by several international participants. Four of them received joint financial support from IRD and ANRS, co-financed by the FEF-AFROSCREEN project.
The course was also accessible remotely to members of the AFROSCREEN Laboratory Working Group, thus extending the impact of this training beyond the borders of the Congo.
A comprehensive and immersive program
The course offered a combination of theory and practice through various modules:
- The history and evolution of the disease
- Clinical signs and diagnosis
- Epidemiology
- The organization of the health response
- The link between research and intervention
- Available treatment options
- The social and anthropological dimensions of the disease
In addition to classroom sessions, participants also benefited from group work sessions and a field visit to a neighborhood identified as a disease hotspot in Kinshasa.
“My participation in the second advanced course on MPOX in the DRC has enabled me to strengthen my ability to identify cases of mpox compared to other orthopoxviruses that we encounter,” said Professor Anges Yadouleton, director of the Hemorrhagic and Viral Fevers Laboratory in Benin, who participated in the second edition of the advanced course on mpox.
See you in October 2026
In light of the very positive feedback from participants regarding the relevance and quality of the training, the organizing committee has already confirmed that the third edition of the Advanced Course on MPOX by PRISME-DRC will be held in October 2026.