The Pandemic Fund

August 28, 2024
 

The Pandemic Fund has been closely following the evolving mpox outbreak and the recent surge in cases, driven by emerging strains and increased human-to-human transmission. This concerning trend has led to the declarations of mpox as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (“PHECS”) by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on August 13, 2024, and as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (“PHEIC”) by the World Health Organization (WHO) on August 14, 2024. 

We welcome the draft Global Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) for mpox launched by WHO on August 26, 2024. The SPRP provides a robust framework for public health preparedness and response to the mpox emergency, covering critical areas like surveillance, equitable access to medical countermeasures, and community empowerment in outbreak control. Many of these areas are key priorities for the Pandemic Fund that we are already supporting. Additional needs identified could be targeted through subsequent rounds of grant funding.   

The Pandemic Fund’s Board will convene in the coming days to discuss how best to support the implementation of the SPRP and relevant regional plans, in close coordination with countries and regional partners and stakeholders, the WHO and other implementing entities. We remain steadfast in our support for national and regional priorities to ensure comprehensive preparedness for rapid and effective response. Our efforts will focus on guiding resource allocation decisions, enhancing coordination across partners, and improving coherence and effectiveness across funding streams to achieve greater resilience in the face of global health threats. 

The clade I mpox outbreak has exposed significant and persistent weaknesses in capacities and capabilities to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to infectious disease outbreaks. The situation underscores the urgency and importance of the Pandemic Fund’s mission, highlighting the critical need for coordinated, system-wide approaches to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR) - the cornerstone of the Pandemic Fund’s operating model. 

The Pandemic Fund is dedicated to enhancing capacity building and implementation of pandemic PPR in alignment with the International Health Regulations and other internationally endorsed legal frameworks, consistent with a One Health approach. Our mission is to ensure that countries have robust surveillance systems for early detection, laboratories that can quickly scale up testing, a fit for purpose health workforce that can be deployed rapidly, effective emergency communication, coordination, and management systems, and surge capacity to respond. We recognize the need to invest in National Public Health Institutions and regional/global networks as cross-cutting enablers. The Fund also prioritizes community engagement, gender equality, health equity, and One Health principles.

The Pandemic Fund has moved forward quickly to deliver critical financing to where it is most needed. Through the first round of funding awarded last year, we are supporting 37 countries across multiple geographic regions to build stronger and more resilient health systems capable of preventing, detecting, and responding to outbreaks, effectively. Every dollar of grant funding allocated is catalyzing an additional $6 from international and domestic partners.  These projects are not only galvanizing coordination across sectors within countries, but also enhancing collaboration between countries and international organizations. With the second round of funding set to be awarded in October this year, the Pandemic Fund is poised to expand its reach and amplify its impact. Additionally, the Pandemic Fund’s policies offer the flexibility to expedite support for grant recipients and to reallocate funding within projects, post-approval, allowing countries and/or regional bodies to adapt swiftly to urgent needs.  We remain committed to working tirelessly with our partners to strengthen our collective capabilities, building a safer and healthier world for all.

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