A recent report titled “Hiding in Plain Sight: Mpox and the Cost of Neglecting Known Threats” has revealed that inadequate investment in surveillance, community health systems, vaccines, and diagnostics allowed the mpox disease to spread beyond its traditional endemic regions in West and Central Africa. The report was authored by Dr. Els Torreele, a global health researcher, and other members of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR).
The report stated that mpox, previously reported mainly in West and Central Africa and largely associated with contact with infected animals, had spread to dozens of countries, with sustained human-to-human transmission making people an increasingly important reservoir of the virus. The emergence of new viral variants heightened risks to populations and placed additional pressure on already overstretched health systems.
Madam Helen Clark, Co-Chair of the Independent Panel, emphasized that the international community must stop overlooking sporadic diseases with epidemic potential. She stated that preventable health emergencies are a sign of failure, occurring when community healthcare is neglected, signals are missed, and pathogens are allowed to spread beyond their original habitats.
The report traced the failure to contain mpox to missed opportunities to strengthen surveillance, research, and response systems in endemic countries before the disease became an international emergency. It noted that vaccines and treatments with potential effectiveness against mpox were available before 2022 but were deployed widely only after the disease spread internationally.
The report highlighted that vaccines had not been made available in the original endemic regions, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which had been reporting about 2,000 suspected cases annually. Earlier intervention could have prevented mpox from becoming a global health concern. The report stated that with 145 countries reporting mpox in the last four years and many outbreaks of sustained human-to-human transmission, the opportunity to stop it locally was missed.
Limited diagnostic capacity was another major obstacle to controlling the disease. In the DRC, only about one-third of suspected cases could be confirmed through testing, limiting the ability of health authorities to identify infections and track transmission. Dr. Joanne Liu, a member of the Independent Panel, noted that the experience reflected lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, where tools like vaccines were not prioritized for the people who needed them most.
The report called for sustained investment in community health systems, affordable diagnostic tests, strategic vaccine stockpiles, and research led by affected regions. It estimated that an additional US$15 billion annually in international financing was needed to close the global pandemic preparedness gap. The authors urged governments to shift from emergency-driven responses to sustained investment in prevention, preparedness, and response.
Key points
- The report highlighted the need for sustained investment in community health systems and affordable diagnostic tests to prevent future pandemics.
- The international community was urged to stop overlooking sporadic diseases with epidemic potential.
- The report estimated that an additional US$15 billion annually in international financing was needed to close the global pandemic preparedness gap.
