The Department of Tropical Medicine at the University of Kinshasa proudly participated in the fourth general assembly of the VERDI consortium in Tallinn, Estonia. This consortium, comprising 38 centers of excellence worldwide, prioritizes pregnant women, children, and high-risk populations in its research on new variants of concern of SARS-CoV-2. It also focuses on preparing for future epidemics, building on the experiences of COVID-19 and Mpox.

Why this project?

Since the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2019, new “variants of concern” have continued to emerge, and their potential impact on pregnant women and children is not well understood. Furthermore, the current MPOX epidemic remains unpredictable and it is crucial to monitor its effects and prepare mitigation measures, both in currently high-risk groups and in other groups that may be more affected in the future.

The experience of COVID-19 and MPOX has highlighted the need to facilitate a rapid research response to infectious disease outbreaks, so that studies can be launched quickly to identify population groups most at risk, as well as effective treatments and prevention strategies, without unnecessary duplication of effort.