Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) today launched a global Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan to stop outbreaks of human-to-human transmission of mpox through coordinated global, regional, and national efforts. This follows the declaration of a public health emergency of international concern by the WHO Director-General on August 14, 2024.
“The mpox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring countries can be controlled, and can be stopped,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Doing so requires a comprehensive and coordinated plan of action between international agencies and national and local partners, civil society, researchers and manufacturers, and our Member States. This SPRP provides that plan, based on the principles of equity, global solidarity, community empowerment, human rights, and coordination across sectors.”
As per WHO’s External Situation Report 35, published August 12, 2024, there were 99,176 laboratory-confirmed cases of mpox in 116 countries/areas/territories. The total number of deaths reported due to mpox stood at 208. All countries in Africa and around the world, where outbreaks affected mainly men who had sex with men and spread predominantly through sexual contact.
The WHO plan covers the six months of September 2024-February 2025, envisioning a US$135 million funding need for the response by WHO, Member States, partners including Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), communities, and researchers, among others. A funding appeal for what WHO needs to deliver on the plan will be launched shortly, it stated.
The current plan is subject to inputs from the WHO Member States, who were briefed on the plan on Friday, August 23, 2024. WHO headquarters and regional offices have established incident management support teams to lead preparedness, readiness and response activities, and are significantly scaling up staff in affected countries.
Within the Africa Region, where the need is greatest, the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) in collaboration with Africa CDC, will jointly spearhead the coordination of mpox response efforts. WHO AFRO and Africa CDC have agreed on a one-plan, one-budget approach as part of the Africa Continental Mpox Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, currently under preparation. At the national and sub-national levels, health authorities will adapt strategies in response to current epidemiological trends.
The plan, which builds on the temporary recommendations and standing recommendations issued by the WHO Director-General, 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.
Strategic vaccination efforts will focus on individuals at the highest risk, including close contacts of recent cases and healthcare workers, to interrupt transmission chains. At the global level, the emphasis will be on strategic leadership, timely evidence-based guidance, and access to medical countermeasures for the most at-risk groups in affected countries.
WHO said it is working with a broad range of international, regional, national and local partners and networks to enhance coordination across key areas of preparedness, readiness and response. It announced that the WHO R&D Blueprint, along with Africa CDC, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will host a virtual scientific conference on 29-30 August 2024 to align mpox research with outbreak control goals.
– global bihari bureau
