KINSHASA - The ongoing mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has resulted in more than 17,801 suspected cases, including 610 deaths, DRC Health Minister Roger Kamba said Tuesday.

The minister urged the population to adhere to protective measures, especially with the upcoming school year in early September, and to get vaccinated as soon as vaccines become available.

READ MORE: New mpox strain changing fast; African scientists ‘working blindly’ to respond

Suspected cases are being reported in conflict-affected provinces that host the majority of the country's 7.3 million internally displaced people, which risks "worsening an already untenable situation for a population devastated by decades of conflict," said a statement released Tuesday by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a Global Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for mpox to end human-to-human transmission of smallpox through coordinated efforts at global, regional, and national levels.

READ MORE: WHO launches global strategic plan to contain mpox outbreaks

"The mpox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries can be controlled, and can be stopped," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.