The Global Fund Supports Countries’ Efforts to Respond to Mpox
30 August 2024
GENEVA - In light of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declaration of a public health emergency of continental security (PHECS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of mpox as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) is reaffirming its commitment to swiftly respond to requests from countries to reinvest grant funding to strengthen their response to mpox outbreaks.
These grant flexibilities have been in place since the previous WHO PHEIC for mpox was declared in July 2022. The Global Fund also updated its technical brief [ download in English | Français | Português ] for countries to align with current guidance from WHO and Africa CDC, and will continue to update it as the situation evolves.
“In disease outbreaks, it is essential that countries can react quickly to contain transmission and stop the spread of the virus,” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “The flexibility of our financing allows countries to make fast, evidence-based decisions that will help stop the outbreak more quickly and protect the progress the Global Fund partnership has made in responding to HIV, TB and malaria.”
Ongoing Global Fund investments for HIV, TB and malaria programs have significantly contributed to strengthening systems for health by supporting interventions like labs, surveillance and community health workers, which better prepare countries to prevent, detect and respond to other diseases like mpox.
The epidemiology of mpox has continued to evolve in complex ways, which has important implications for prevention, preparedness and response efforts. It is increasingly being associated with HIV, heightening the risk of mpox transmission, illness and death in people with weak immune systems and with advanced HIV. Investing in a country’s mpox efforts helps strengthen their work to stop the spread of HIV and vice versa.
The outbreak is increasing most in Africa according to the Africa CDC. More than 74% of Global Fund grants are dispersed in that region, with investments of almost US$13 billion since 2021.
Support from Global Fund grants can be requested for activities such as systems strengthening of core prevention, early detection and response functions, including disease surveillance, laboratory capacity, community engagement and surge workforce.
The Global Fund will continue to engage with partners like Africa CDC, WHO, FIND and others in support of availability of diagnostics in the countries where it invests. The technical brief is being updated to include mpox molecular tests which meet the Global Fund's quality assurance standards and are allowed to be procured through Global Fund financing.
“For more than 20 years, the Global Fund has been working with countries to improve their ability to respond to and beat pandemics, starting with the HIV/AIDS pandemic,” added Sands. “The laboratories, disease surveillance systems, community networks, supply chains, and other health system components built to fight HIV, TB and malaria, and strengthened in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, provide a platform to protect people and communities from mpox and other disease outbreaks.”
The Global Fund will follow developments in the outbreak and technical advice from the Africa CDC and WHO and will work closely with countries to support their mpox responses.