The WHO Has Created A Global Strategy Preparedness And Response Plan To Contain The Mpox Outbreak.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced the creation of a global strategic preparedness and response plan aimed at coordinating national, regional, and worldwide efforts to contain mpox epidemics. This comes after the WHO Director-General on August 14 declared a public health emergency of international significance.
The member states, who were briefed on the proposal on Friday, August 23, are welcome to contribute to the present version of the plan.
The strategy calls for a US$135 million financial commitment for the response from the WHO, Member States, partners including the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), communities, and researchers, among others. It spans the six-month period from September 2024 to February 2025.
Soon, a funding request will be made to provide WHO with the necessary funds to carry out the strategy.
The plan focuses on implementing comprehensive surveillance, prevention, readiness, and response strategies; advancing research and equitable access to medical countermeasures like diagnostic tests and vaccines; minimizing animal-to-human transmission; and empowering communities to actively participate in outbreak prevention and control. It builds on the standing and temporary recommendations issued by the WHO Director-General.
In order to break the chains of transmission, targeted vaccination campaigns will target those who are most vulnerable, such as healthcare professionals and those who have recently been in close contact with a case.
Globally, the focus is on timely evidence-based recommendations, strategic leadership, and providing the most vulnerable populations in impacted nations with access to medical countermeasures.
In order to improve coordination across important domains of readiness, preparedness, and response, WHO is collaborating with a wide range of global, regional, national, and local partners and networks. Participation in the ACT-Accelerator Principals group, the R&D blueprint for epidemics, the Standing Committee on Health Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response, and the interim Medical Countermeasures Network (i-MCM Net) are a few examples of this.
To link mpox research with outbreak control goals, the WHO R&D Blueprint, in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Africa CDC, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), will organize a virtual scientific conference on August 29–30, 2024.
“We can control and stop the mpox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries,” stated WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. A thorough and well-coordinated plan of action including international organizations, local and national partners, civil society, manufacturers, and researchers, as well as our Member States, is necessary to achieve this. That plan is provided by this SPRP, which is founded on the values of justice, solidarity throughout the world, community empowerment, human rights, and cross-sector collaboration.
In order to oversee preparation, readiness, and response efforts, WHO headquarters and regional offices have formed incident management support teams and are greatly increasing the number of employees in the impacted nations.
The WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) and Africa CDC will work together to lead the coordination of mpox response operations inside the Africa Region, where the highest need exists. As part of the Africa Continental Mpox Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, which is presently being prepared, WHO AFRO and Africa CDC have decided on a one-plan, one-budget strategy.
Health authorities will modify their strategy at the national and sub-national levels in response to emerging epidemic patterns.
