Challenges and Strategies for MPOX Management in Low Resource Settings

Abstract

Mpox remains a persistent threat in low-resource settings, where overstretched healthcare systems, inadequate laboratory infrastructure, and limited vaccine availability complicate control efforts. Diagnosing Mpox in such contexts is often delayed by fragmented supply chains, unreliable power sources, and insufficient numbers of trained personnel. In addition, geographic inaccessibility and high out-of-pocket costs impede patients from seeking timely care. Sociocultural challenges—particularly stigma, misinformation, and vaccine hesitancy—further undermine prevention strategies. Humanitarian crises, characterized by overcrowding, malnutrition, and disrupted healthcare services, amplify disease spread by exacerbating vulnerabilities and impeding coordinated responses. To address these multifaceted barriers, strengthening diagnostic capacity through the deployment of point-of-care tests, mobile laboratories, and targeted training programs emerges as a critical priority. Concurrently, improving healthcare access via task-shifting approaches and infrastructural investments can help integrate Mpox management into essential health services. Equitable vaccine distribution—bolstered by international partnerships, cold chain innovations, and community-based education—holds significant promise for curbing transmission. Ultimately, robust community engagement initiatives that emphasize culturally tailored public education campaigns and localized surveillance can reduce stigma, increase awareness, and enhance early detection. By adopting these targeted strategies, low-resource regions can build resilience against Mpox outbreaks and better prepare for future public health emergencies.