Rome – The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a global strategic preparedness and response plan to stop human-to-human transmission of monkeypox outbreaks through coordinated efforts at global, regional and national levels. The current plan, subject to contributions from Member States, covers the six-month period from September 2024 to February 2025, providing US$ 135 million in response funding from WHO, Member States and partners including the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), communities and researchers, among others. A fundraising appeal will be launched soon for the resources WHO needs to implement the plan. The plan, which builds on the WHO Director-General’s Interim and Standing Recommendations, focuses on implementing comprehensive surveillance, prevention, preparedness and response strategies; on strengthening research and equitable access to medical countermeasures such as diagnostic tests and vaccines; on reducing animal-to-human transmission; and on empowering communities to actively participate in epidemic prevention and control. Strategic vaccination efforts will focus on the most vulnerable individuals, including close contacts of recent cases and health care workers, to break chains of transmission. Globally, the focus is on strategic leadership, timely evidence-based guidance, and access to medical countermeasures for the most vulnerable groups in affected countries. WHO is working with a wide range of international, regional, national and local partners and networks to improve coordination across key areas of preparedness, readiness and response. “Monkeypox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring countries can be controlled and stopped,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Doing so requires a comprehensive and coordinated action plan between international agencies, national and local partners, civil society, researchers, producers and our Member States.” -Photo by Photograma Agency- . mgg/com 26 Aug 24 17:28
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