In August 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) following a sharp rise in cases across Central Africa. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been the hardest hit, reporting nearly 18,000 confirmed cases in 2024 and 2025. Neighboring countries, including Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic, have also seen significant outbreaks, underscoring the urgency of the situation.
Rapid Response to the Outbreak
Recognizing the need for a swift and effective response, efforts were mobilized to assess how funding mechanisms could be leveraged to help contain the epidemic. While biomedical research, particularly experimental vaccines and therapeutics, received significant attention, a major gap in social and behavioral science (SBS) was identified. SBS research plays a crucial role in understanding how individuals, communities, and societies perceive, respond to, and are affected by infectious disease outbreaks. Given prior experience in supporting SBS research during outbreaks such as COVID-19 and Ebola, a decision was made to focus on this area once again.
Additionally, it became evident that the outbreak could not be separated from the ongoing humanitarian crises in the region, particularly in Eastern DRC. This realization informed the focus of efforts, which became even more relevant given the recent insecurity in the area.
Convening Experts in Kinshasa
To strengthen the response, a pivotal convening event took place in Kinshasa, DRC, in November 2024. This event brought together biomedical and SBS researchers, outbreak response leaders, and civil society representatives to redefine the role of SBS in outbreak response. The goal was to establish SBS as a foundational pillar alongside epidemiological and biomedical approaches to address not just the mpox pathogen but also the societal and behavioral factors shaping the epidemic’s trajectory. A report summarizing key insights and recommendations from the meeting is expected to be released soon.
New Research Initiatives to Strengthen the Mpox Response
Three new projects have been selected for funding, each designed to contribute significantly to the effort to curb the mpox epidemic:
- Community Engagement and Research Initiative
- Establishing a community of practice: Aimed at fostering ongoing collaboration among stakeholders involved in SBS research and outbreak response.
- Operational SBS research: Conducted in partnership with the DRC Ministry of Health and academic institutions in Goma, this research will address key community protection questions and focus on equity, inclusion, and the needs of vulnerable populations.
- Developing a generalizable SBS protocol: This initiative will create a standardized SBS research protocol for future outbreaks, ensuring rapid, community-centered research findings that can inform responses worldwide.
- Vaccine Acceptance and Community Sensitization Study
- This research, led by a consortium of international and local institutions, will examine vaccine acceptance, knowledge, and risk perception among at-risk groups in Eastern DRC.
- Pre- and post-vaccination evaluations will be conducted, followed by a targeted community sensitization campaign to raise awareness and address concerns.
- Findings will be shared with humanitarian health actors to improve vaccine deployment strategies and enhance public health messaging.
- Ethical Community Participation in Research
- This initiative will apply lessons learned from ethical community participation during previous Ebola trials to the current mpox response in DRC.
- It aims to ensure meaningful community involvement in outbreak response efforts, emphasizing ethical engagement.
A Community-Driven, Evidence-Based Response
These projects are designed to address critical gaps identified by those working on the frontlines of the mpox response. Working in areas with fluid security and operational conditions presents challenges, but supporting research and innovation in fast-moving humanitarian contexts remains a priority.
By fostering collaboration among local, regional, and global partners, the response to mpox is being shaped to be not only evidence-based but also community-driven, ethical, and inclusive. These efforts will help place affected communities at the center of decision-making and response strategies. Insights and outcomes from these initiatives will be shared in the coming months, contributing to efforts aimed at turning the tide on the epidemic.
