Mapping the Landscape of Health Research Priorities for Effective Pandemic Preparedness in Human Mpox Virus Disease

Abstract

The global re-emergence of monkeypox (Mpox) in non-endemic regions in 2022 has highlighted the critical importance of timely virus detection and robust public health surveillance in assessing outbreaks and their impact. Despite significant Mpox research being conducted worldwide, there is an urgent need to identify knowledge gaps and prioritize key research areas in order to create a roadmap that maximizes the utilization of available resources. The present research article provides a comprehensive mapping of health research priorities aimed at advancing our understanding of Mpox and developing effective interventions for managing its outbreaks, and, as evidenced by the fact that achieving this objective requires close interdisciplinary collaboration. The key research priorities observed were identifying variants responsible for outbreaks; discovering novel biomarkers for diagnostics; establishing suitable animal models; investigating reservoirs and transmission routes; promoting the One Health approach; identifying targets for vaccination; gaining insight into the attitudes, experiences, and practices of key communities, including stigma; and ensuring equity during public health emergencies. The findings of this study hold significant implications for decision making by multilateral partners, including research funders, public health practitioners, policy makers, clinicians, and civil society, which will facilitate the development of a comprehensive plan not only for Mpox but also for other similar life-threatening viral infections.

Keywords: Mpox; One Health; epidemiology; orthopoxvirus.

Figure 1

PRISMA flowchart for studies included in the review.

Figure 2

Mapping of research gaps and priorities to overcome future Mpox outbreak in developing countries.

Figure 3

Mpox lineage distribution: (A) phylodynamics over the years and (B) global transmission (GISAID.org, as of 8 June 2023).

Figure 4

Relative frequencies of Mpox lineages over time (GISAID.org, as of 8 June 2023).