The World Health Organization (WHO) has unveiled a comprehensive Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan to combat human-to-human transmission of mpox, following the declaration of a public health emergency of international concern by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on August 14.
The new plan, covering the period from September 2024 to February 2025, outlines a US$135 million funding requirement to support the response efforts. This funding will be mobilized from WHO, Member States, partners such as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and other stakeholders. A funding appeal to meet these needs will be announced in the near future.
The strategy emphasizes comprehensive surveillance, prevention, and response measures, alongside advancing research and ensuring equitable access to medical countermeasures, including diagnostic tests and vaccines. Key components of the plan include minimizing animal-to-human transmission and fostering community involvement in outbreak prevention and control.
Vaccination efforts will prioritize individuals at high risk, including close contacts of recent cases and healthcare workers, to break transmission chains. On a global scale, the plan stresses the importance of strategic leadership, evidence-based guidance, and ensuring access to medical countermeasures for at-risk populations in affected regions.
WHO is collaborating with various international, regional, and national partners to enhance coordination across preparedness and response efforts. This includes working with the ACT-Accelerator Principals group, the Standing Committee on Health Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response, and the R&D Blueprint for Epidemics.
Additionally, a virtual scientific conference will be hosted on August 29-30, 2024, by the WHO R&D Blueprint, Africa CDC, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to align mpox research with outbreak control objectives.
Dr. Tedros emphasized that controlling and halting the mpox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries is feasible with a coordinated, equitable, and community-focused approach. WHO’s headquarters and regional offices, including WHO AFRO in collaboration with Africa CDC, will lead these efforts with a unified plan and budget. National and sub-national health authorities will adapt strategies based on evolving epidemiological trends.
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