Previously referred to as Monkeypox, Mpox has brought severe concern with new outbreaks of infectious diseases and their re-emergence globally. The World Health Organization officially declared a solid strategic preparedness and Response Plan on the 26th of August, 2024, to contain the current wave eruption of Mpox in most of the regionally affected areas. From September 2024 to February 2025, this global plan summarizes a defined series of actions through a comprehensive multisectoral strategy.
Background: Mpox, A Rising Threat
The viral disease mpox, similar to smallpox, has bounced back recently. It was first identified as an outbreak when it spread from its historic endemic foci in Central and West Africa. It was first taken as a regional threat. However, it has been easily spread to different continents and is of concern because it is getting more transmissible, especially within large and highly populated urban centers.
The virus spreads chiefly by close contact with infected individuals or contaminated materials; although previously considered a zoonotic virus, today, human-to-human transmission is the most significant mode of spread. Common manifestations include fever, headache, muscle aches, and rash, with a classic rash; though usually mild, complications related to severe disease do occur, particularly among the more vulnerable parts of the population.
It should strategically respond to stop the spread and minimize the global effect on subject health, public health, and socio-economic systems by considering that modern-day societies are globally interconnected.
WHO Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan
Six priorities that underpin responses from global to national level are the basis for the current WHO SPRP:
- Human-to-human transmission: The priority is to interrupt transmission through evidence-informed interventions in strategic locations. Thus, it would involve further upscaling of testing, contact tracing, and isolation, most notably in areas of increased transmission and mass communication campaigns. Rapid identification and isolation of cases would significantly reduce the spread of the virus.
- Vaccination for High-Risk Groups: Therefore, the role of vaccination in high-risk groups is determined by the plan outlining priorities within populations exposed to increased risks, such as health workers, the immunocompromised, and communities where the transmission rate is higher. WHO works closely with vaccine manufacturers to guarantee an adequate supply and equitable distribution.
- Timeliness: The foundation for improved surveillance is detection and response planning. SPRP: Establish mechanisms for improved collection, analysis, and reporting to trace the evolution of the outbreaks. Develop high-capacity health information systems and transparently share the data with international partners.
- Community Engagement and Risk Communication: Community mobilization is the cornerstone of an effective epidemic response. In this respect, culturally sensitive communication is necessary to avoid misinformation and spur preventive actions. WHO is working with community leaders, local organizations, and mass media to disseminate accurate information to promote healthier lifestyles.
- Ensuring Equitable Access to Resources: Principles of equitable access to diagnosis, treatment, and vaccines can only overturn such inequities, particularly for low—and middle-income countries. In this spirit, WHO calls for international solidarity in sharing resources to help fill the void in health infrastructure and capacity that could otherwise have worked as a catalyst.
- Research and Development for the Next Preparedness: The plan reiterates the continued importance of research toward understanding the virus and forming needed equipment. It must include furthering efforts to develop new treatments and vaccines through clinical testing related to virus epidemiology and efforts directed toward virus transmission dynamics and long-term health.
Financial Requirements: Resource Mobilization in Coordinated Response
It is an ambitious initiative that the WHO estimates will require $135 million in six months to be affected. The funding will allow for carrying out activities in different domains, like vaccine procurement, healthcare system strengthening, and training personnel at the local levels. The WHO is calling on the member states, philanthropic agencies, and the private sector to fund and support the plan, realizing that global cooperation is a must to stop the fast-growing outbreak.
Regional Coordination: A Global Problem Requires a Global Solution
While the global darkness wrought by Mpox is moderately uncertain across varied parts of the world, for Africa, where the virus was initially endemic, this collaboration between the World Health Organization and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has significantly tightened its noose, improving general surveillance, ameliorating and building laboratory capacities, and training health workers.
In other parts of the world, such as Europe and the Americas, where the virus is relatively new, attention is focused on the rapid scaling up of vaccines with an integration of Mpox response across broader systems for public health.
Considerations and Challenges: Balancing Urgency For Longer-term Preparation
The following complicated issues make Mpox a complex response globally.
- Vaccine Availability and Distribution: Although the vaccine is produced, upscaling to meet the global need is an issue. Some regions cannot access enough vaccines, while others face logistical problems as they serve the people needing vaccines.
- Public Perception and Misinformation: In any public health crisis, misinformation and fear are roadblocks to proceeding. Conversely, clear information must come from reliable sources, which the people will learn to absorb.
- The strain on the Healthcare System: Most countries are recovering from the recent COVID-19 pandemic; hence, their medical systems are hugely strained. That likely will require good planning and resource allotment by all concerned parties while managing its immediate response needs with existing health priorities.
The Moral Imperative: Equity, Human Rights, and Global Solidarity
The WHO SPRP program is a humanitarian initiative based on equity, human rights, and global solidarity. This is put into perspective because no one will be left behind in the fight against Mpox, regardless of their status in society, location, or political climate. This commitment to equity further underlines the call for fair access to vaccines, treatments, or any other available resource.
WHO has also urged the removal of intellectual property constraints on Mpox vaccines, generic production, and increased access. While at it, it facilitates global negotiations, which have seen pacts that would permit more extensive sharing of resources and coordination of action.
The Role of International Partnerships and Stakeholders
Realization of the successes within the strategy, to their fullest, is expected through active engagement by governments, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and the private sector. International partnerships with organizations like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Fund provide an avenue for resource mobilization, harmonization of actions, and assurance of coherence at the global level.
WHO collaborates with regional organizations such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the Pan American Health Organization, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to mobilize responses adapted to regional circumstances.
Plan Forward For Reducing Future Health Emergencies
The result was that Mpox broke out in the US, and the world was not free from infectious diseases, and there was no vaccine. Aside from immediate response, the WHO SPRP speaks to building long-term resilience against future health threats. Of course, this would involve boosting systems about health care and the social, economic, and environmental determinants that present opportunities for infectious diseases.
For example, climate change is altering the habitats of animals carrying diseases and has increased the frequency of spillovers from animal sources to humans. Other driving factors are urbanization and deforestation, which have ensured global health security.
Conclusion
WHO’s Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for Mpox is one of the critical strides in response to the ongoing outbreak. Its success, however, is wholly donated to the global community. As captured by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of WHO, during the launch of this plan: “No country or organization can address this crisis alone; the foundation of our collective response has to be in solidarity, guided by science and equity.” It means that in the months to come, the world will see how, after all, the international community stands up to this imminent peril. The event will inform health policy worldwide in preparation in case of another pandemic.
