The White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy and officials from the National Security Council hosted a roundtable policy on Monday to discuss the potential ramifications of monkeypox outbreaks. Concerns over the current outbreak and rising cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo prompted the meeting.
There are currently two known strains, clade I and clade II, with the first strain proving to be the most concerning at the moment. The discussion focused primarily on containing the clade I strain of monkeypox, which is “endemic in the DRC.” The Biden-Harris administration declared that “global mpox response and domestic preparedness efforts are top priorities” for the administration.
“By building on the lessons learned from the mpox outbreak response in 2022, the U.S. will continue to lead the way, globally and domestically, to be more prepared to respond to any biological threat,” said Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall. “We must also continue to partner with trusted community organizations, academic researchers, and civil society actors across the international community to promote the dissemination of information, support the early detection of cases, and ensure the rapid deployment of countermeasures. Doing so will keep Americans safer and more secure here at home.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 27,000 suspected cases of monkeypox and more than 1,300 deaths have occurred as of September 2024. The meeting at the White House analyzed and evaluated preventive measures and proactive planning in the event that the current outbreak significantly expands beyond the African continent. Officials from multiple federal agencies, advocacy groups, and organizations, among others, participated in the talks, the White House announced in a press release.
“Our actions today and in the coming weeks have the potential to change the course of the global clade I mpox response at home and abroad,” said Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer. “It is more critical than ever for the United States to be a global leader in preventing and responding to health emergencies. When the United States invests in building stronger partnerships around the world, and when we support stronger, more effective multilateral and regional institutions, not only are Americans safer, but the world is safer.”
On August 14, the World Health Organization declared the monkeypox outbreak in the DRC as a public health emergency of international concern, the agency’s highest global alert level. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus considered the outbreak a serious threat with the potential to spread across Africa “and possibly outside the continent.”
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“The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighboring countries are very worrying,” Ghebreyesus said. “On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.”
Currently, there are no known clade I monkeypox cases in the United States. However, Monday’s discussion at the White House was meant as a proactive step in preparing for any such emergency in the country. It also established the nation’s “leadership role in the global mpox response and identified efforts to bolster domestic preparedness and improve U.S. readiness for a clade I mpox case,” according to the release. The government is taking every precaution necessary to “ensure that the U.S. can rapidly detect, contain, and manage clade I cases should they occur.”
