Citation, extracts and a comment from me below, from an editorial in this week's Lancet.
CITATION: Mpox: the need for a coordinated international response
Editorial| Volume 404, ISSUE 10454, P725, August 24, 2024
The Lancet. Published:August 18, 2024 DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01708-2
More than 16 000 infections and 500 deaths have been reported so far in DR Congo in 2024, although many mild cases (which can nonetheless still facilitate transmission) are likely going undetected. Cases have also been reported in Central African Republic, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, and Kenya, while Sweden and Pakistan have reported imported cases as The Lancet went to press. More countries will likely be added to this list. What will the declarations achieve?
The hope is that a PHEIC will trigger a coordinated international response, with political attention, action, and funding to help to stop the spread of disease and bring the outbreaks to an end. Immediate needs include support for health infrastructure; training of health workers; genomic and epidemiological surveillance; clinical trials of medical countermeasures; and monitoring for animal reservoirs. Response policies must engage communities and susceptible groups for surveillance, contact tracing, transmission prevention, and care. The weight of stigma, particularly in settings where populations such as LGBTQ+ communities might avoid seeking help due to fear of criminal prosecution, is a danger that needs to be addressed. Disinformation and misinformation must be forestalled. A concerted research and scientific response is essential. Prompt and substantial investment is needed to better understand mpox epidemiology to prepare adequate diagnostic capabilities, robust surveillance systems, and vaccination. Unfortunately, past declarations have often failed to elicit the global response necessary...
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COMMENT (NPW): The editorial highlights the importance of 'forestalling' misinformation. But even more important is facilitating the availability and use of reliable information about mpox to all those who need it: health workers, the general public, policymakers. We have seen that public health information is hard to find, even among government websites, government social media channels, and news websites of affected countries. The information on the WHO website is key, but is not reaching those who need it. (Also, the URL below appears to be available only in English at present, despite mpox affecting predominantly francophone countries.)
https://www.who.int/news-room/public-advice/protecting-yourself-from-mon...
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org
