Objective of the study
Mpox, a re-emerging viral zoonosis, has recently posed significant public health challenges in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The disease has resulted in thousands of suspected cases and hundreds of deaths, prompting the DRC Ministry of Health to declare a public health emergency in April 2024. Given the rapid spread and high mortality rate of the outbreak, a coordinated research response is urgently needed to understand and mitigate this public health threat.
The emergence of Mpox as a significant public health threat in sub-Saharan Africa is in line with the primary objective of the ODIN project, which is to address critical infectious pathogens through genomic surveillance and wastewater-based epidemiology. Building on the success of the ODIN project, this project aims to implement a comprehensive water genomic surveillance system specifically targeting the Mpox epidemic in the DRC and neighboring countries.
By leveraging advanced genomic surveillance and wastewater-based epidemiology, this initiative will provide new, critical, and timely information on the presence and spread of Mpox virus in the environment. This information will help guide public health interventions, such as targeted vaccination campaigns and resource allocation to high-risk areas. In addition, the approach will enable early detection of Mpox virus in water sources, enabling rapid public health interventions to prevent transmission.
The project will identify the Mpox virus sublineages that have the greatest impact on case numbers and place them in a global context, providing evidence of international sublineages that have likely emerged or spread rapidly in the DRC and neighbouring countries. These data will be crucial not only for addressing the immediate outbreak, but also for contributing to the development of global public health strategies and preparedness for future outbreaks, by gaining a deeper understanding of the Mpox virus itself.
Program(s)
Theme(s)
HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2024-Mpox - Mobilization of emergency funds for research on the Mpox epidemic
Call for proposals
HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2024-Mpox
See other projects for this call
Financing plan
HORIZON-JU-RIA - HORIZON JU research and innovation actions