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WHO activates emergency health network in mpox-hit nations for first time

The World Health Organization has for the first time activated its emergency health network in eight countries affected by the mpox outbreak, including the worst-hit Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi.

Photo Credit: WHO.

HQ Team

October 30, 2024: The World Health Organization has for the first time activated its emergency health network in eight countries affected by the mpox outbreak, including the worst-hit Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi.

The Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC), consisting of professional healthcare workers, experts and a network of technical leaders, were deployed to strengthen the response to the health emergency, according to a WHO statement.

GHEC was established by the WHO in 2023 after the response to the Covid-19 pandemic revealed the need to streamline efforts of existing networks to ensure better-coordinated support to countries.

The WHO’s first activation of this new support mechanism follows the declaration of mpox as a public health emergency of international concern by the global health agency on August 14, 2024.

Targeted vaccination

“WHO and partners are supporting the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries to implement an integrated approach to case detection, contact tracing, targeted vaccination, clinical and home care, infection prevention and control, community engagement and mobilisation, and specialised logistical support,” said Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme.

“The GHEC enhances the ability of the many effective responders at national and regional levels to collaborate and ensure the success on the ground in interrupting transmission and reducing suffering.”

Eighteen African countries have reported mpox cases this year, and the rapid spread of clade 1b mpox to at least two other regions has raised concerns about further spread.

In collaboration with the International Association of National Public Health Institutes, GHEC is assessing the emergency workforce capacities in eight countries affected by the mpox outbreak, WHO stated.

The assessment has so far identified 22 areas that need strengthening, including epidemiology and surveillance, laboratory capacities, infection prevention and control, risk communication and community engagement. 

‘Contextually relevant’

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Health Cluster partners have joined in strengthening the coordination set up by the Ministry of Health under the leadership of the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre.

As of 17 October, WHO has managed the deployment of 56 experts to the affected countries. This includes WHO staff as well as experts mobilized through the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GORAN) and the African Volunteers Health Corps (AVoHC-SURGE).

The AVoHC-SURGE responders, coordinated by WHO’s Regional Office for Africa and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, are a growing cohort of professionals with diverse skill sets that can be deployed in the region.

“By mobilizing trained professionals from within the continent, we ensure that responses are not only timely but also contextually relevant,” said Dr Abdou Salam Gueye, Regional Emergency Director for the WHO Regional Office for Africa.

“The dedication and expertise of these responders are essential in saving lives and building resilient health systems capable of withstanding future threats.”

GOARN is leading the efforts to map the support provided by partners on a bilateral basis to affected countries and the regional coordination structure. This includes the provision of experts, supplies, financial support, capacity strengthening and other activities.

As part of the GHEC activation, on October 22, technical leaders from affected countries and leaders from other countries, including those who have experienced previous mpox outbreaks, convened to discuss the most effective control measures, share best practices and coordinate their efforts to halt the outbreak.

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