The World Health Organization (WHO) has unveiled a comprehensive Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) aimed at halting the spread of Mpox through human-to-human transmission.
In a statement released on Monday, WHO outlined that the plan, which spans from September 2024 to February 2025, requires $135 million in funding to be fully operational.
The plan emphasizes coordinated efforts at the global, regional, and national levels to enhance surveillance, improve response strategies, ensure equitable access to diagnostics and vaccines, reduce the risk of animal-to-human transmission, and empower communities in managing outbreaks.
This announcement comes after WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus declared a public health emergency of international concern on August 14.
A fundraising campaign to support the implementation of the plan is expected to be launched soon, with WHO highlighting the need for global solidarity in addressing this health crisis.
The plan builds on Dr. Ghebreyesus’s recommendations and prioritizes comprehensive surveillance, prevention, and readiness measures.
Vaccination efforts will focus on those at the highest risk, including close contacts of confirmed cases and healthcare workers, to effectively break the chains of transmission.
On a global scale, the WHO will concentrate on providing strategic leadership, issuing evidence-based guidance, and ensuring access to medical countermeasures for vulnerable populations in affected regions.
WHO is collaborating with a wide range of international, regional, and local partners to enhance coordination in preparedness, readiness, and response efforts.
This includes working with groups such as the ACT-Accelerator Principals, the Standing Committee on Health Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response, the R&D Blueprint for Epidemics, and the interim Medical Countermeasures Network (i-MCM Net).
