Mpox: WHO recommends strengthening cross-border collaboration
Hibapress
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday recommended strengthening cross-border collaboration for the surveillance and management of suspected cases of Mpox in international transport, a few days after declaring this epidemic a “public health emergency of international concern”.
In a detailed report from the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee meeting held on 14 August, WHO released a series of temporary recommendations for countries facing a resurgence of Mpox cases, including but not limited to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
These temporary recommendations are intended to be implemented by States Parties in addition to the current permanent recommendations concerning Mpox, which the Organization decided on Monday to extend for one year, until 20 August 2025.
The WHO therefore recommends establishing or strengthening cross-border collaboration agreements concerning the surveillance and management of suspected cases of Mpox, the communication of information to travelers and transport operators.
But she stresses that this should be implemented “without resorting to blanket restrictions on travel and trade that would have an unnecessary impact on local, regional or national economies”.
As part of the temporary recommendations, the Organization also calls for “establishing vaccination plans against Mpox in areas where cases have appeared (i.e. where the disease appeared in the previous 2 to 4 weeks), targeting people at high risk of infection.
WHO also stresses the importance of strengthening coordination of all partners and stakeholders engaged in response activities or supporting them through cooperation, including by introducing accountability mechanisms.
It also advocates expanding access to accurate, affordable and available diagnostics to differentiate Mpox virus clades, including by strengthening provisions for sample transport, decentralization of diagnostics and provisions for genomic sequencing.
WHO further recommends providing clinical, nutritional and psychosocial support to patients with Mpox, including, if necessary and possible, isolation in care facilities and advice for home care.
The Organization finally insists on the imperative to report suspected, probable and confirmed cases of Mpox to it in a timely manner and on a weekly basis.
The WHO had triggered its highest level of international alert on Wednesday in the face of the resurgence of the epidemic in Africa.
The continent has recorded about 38,465 cases of Mpox and 1,456 deaths since January 2022, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
