In response to the escalating mpox crisis, the World Health Organization (WHO) has unveiled a robust Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) to tackle human-to-human transmission and restore global health security.
The ambitious initiative, running from September 2024 to February 2025, requires $135 million in funding to execute its multifaceted strategy.
WHO’s director-general, Tedros Ghebreyesus, declared a public health emergency of international concern on August 14, prompting the swift response.
The plan builds on temporary and standing recommendations issued by Ghebreyesus, focusing on comprehensive surveillance, prevention, and readiness.
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Key objectives include:
– Coordinating global, regional, and national efforts to enhance surveillance and response strategies
– Ensuring equitable access to diagnostics and vaccines
– Reducing animal-to-human transmission
– Empowering communities to take control of outbreak prevention
Strategic vaccination efforts will target high-risk individuals, including close contacts of recent cases and healthcare workers, to interrupt transmission chains.
WHO will work closely with international partners, regional networks, and local stakeholders to enhance coordination across key areas of preparedness, readiness, and response.
A virtual scientific conference on August 29-30 will align mpox research with outbreak control goals. WHO’s R&D Blueprint, Africa CDC, Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) will collaborate on this critical initiative.
