The UK government has announced £5.5 million for research into transmission, new vaccines and treatments to tackle the mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries.
The significant investment is part of the UK’s international response to mpox: providing critical support to countries at the centre of the outbreak and strengthening global health security, while ensuring the UK is protected.
The funding will go towards research projects focused on:
- studying the genetics and transmission patterns of clade 1b mpox and strengthening public health responses in affected regions
- developing vaccines, with particular attention to protecting vulnerable groups
- supporting clinical trials involving mothers and newborn children - including improving the efficacy of vaccines and antiviral treatments
Health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron said: “We are proud to be at the forefront of the international response to mpox. This crucial funding will develop our understanding of the disease and hopefully develop new ways of protecting people at risk of this terrible disease - particularly mothers and their babies who are particularly vulnerable. It will also help protect the UK and improve our resilience to future outbreaks.”
This funding has been given through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget and will support nine major research projects in partnership with the Global Health European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership 3 (Global Health EDCTP3).
In August 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) due to the newly identified clade 1b outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This outbreak has expanded to neighbouring countries, and a small number of cases have been detected in other countries including Thailand, Sweden and the USA.
Five cases of clade 1b mpox were confirmed in England last year. The risk of clade 1b mpox to the UK population remains low, and the government is closely monitoring the disease.
In September 2024, the UK government secured more than 150,000 doses of mpox vaccines to help boost resilience against clade 1 mpox and protect the UK population. Protecting the UK’s health from current and future threats and strengthening collaboration with global partners to better prevent outbreaks worldwide, is part of the government’s Plan for Change.
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: “Research funding for mpox focused in the areas most affected in Africa is critical to the scientific understanding of this disease. This collaborative funding, alongside ongoing international efforts, will provide a much needed injection of support to reduce the spread of mpox across the globe.”