The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a global Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) aimed at curbing human-to-human transmission of Mpox.
In a statement released on Monday, WHO outlined that the plan, set to run from September 2024 to February 2025, requires $135 million in funding.
The initiative focuses on coordinating efforts at global, regional, and national levels to improve surveillance and response strategies, ensure equitable access to diagnostics and vaccines, reduce animal-to-human transmission, and empower communities in managing outbreaks.
The announcement follows WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus’s declaration of 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.
WHO emphasized that the plan builds on recommendations from Ghebreyesus and prioritizes comprehensive surveillance, prevention, and readiness.
Vaccination efforts will target those at highest risk, including close contacts of recent cases and healthcare workers, to break transmission chains.
At the global level, the focus will be on strategic leadership, evidence-based guidance, and access to medical countermeasures for vulnerable groups 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 the ACT-Accelerator Principals group, 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).
