GENEVA — The U.N. health agency on Monday launched a six-month plan to help stanch outbreaks of mpox transmission, including ramping up staffing in affected countries and boosting surveillance, prevention and response strategies.
The World Health Organization said it expects the plan from September through February next year will require $135 million in funding and aims to improve fair access to vaccines, notably in African countries hardest hit by the outbreak.
“The mpox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries can be controlled, and can be stopped,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement.
The agency is “significantly scaling up staff” in affected countries, it said. In mid-August, WHO classified the current mpox outbreak as a global health emergency.
Also Monday, German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said Germany is donating 100,000 doses of mpox vaccine to affected countries from stocks held by its military, German news agency dpa reported.
Last Tuesday, Congo — the hardest-hit country — reported more than 1,000 new mpox cases over the previous week.
In its latest update on the outbreak, the African Centers for Disease Control reported that as of Thursday, more than 21,300 suspected or confirmed cases and 590 deaths have been reported this year in 12 African countries.
Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox but typically causes milder symptoms like fever, chills and body aches. It mostly spreads through close skin-to-skin contact, including sexual intercourse. People with more serious cases can develop lesions on the face, hands, chest and genitals.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently introduced a comprehensive plan to stop the transmission of the Monkeypox virus (MPOX) and has confirmed that the virus can indeed be stopped with the right measures in place. This announcement comes as a relief to many, as Monkeypox has been a growing concern in recent years due to its potential to cause outbreaks in human populations.
Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that is similar to smallpox, but less severe. It is primarily found in Central and West Africa, where it is believed to be transmitted to humans from animals such as rodents and primates. The virus can also be spread from person to person through respiratory droplets or contact with infected bodily fluids.
In recent years, there have been several outbreaks of Monkeypox in various countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. These outbreaks have raised concerns about the potential for the virus to spread more widely and cause significant harm to human populations.
In response to these concerns, the WHO has developed a comprehensive plan to stop the transmission of Monkeypox. The plan includes measures such as increased surveillance and monitoring of cases, rapid identification and isolation of infected individuals, and vaccination campaigns to protect at-risk populations.
One key aspect of the plan is the development of a new vaccine for Monkeypox, which has shown promising results in clinical trials. The vaccine is expected to be available for use in affected regions in the near future, providing an additional tool for controlling the spread of the virus.
The WHO has also emphasized the importance of public awareness and education in preventing the transmission of Monkeypox. By educating communities about the risks of the virus and how it can be prevented, the WHO hopes to reduce the likelihood of future outbreaks and protect vulnerable populations.
Overall, the WHO’s plan to stop the transmission of Monkeypox is a significant step forward in the fight against this potentially dangerous virus. With the right measures in place, it is possible to control and eventually eliminate Monkeypox, protecting human populations from this threat.
