Help shape WHO guidance on the priorities for social and behavioural research for mpox

Take the survey in ENGLISH | FRENCH

Outbreaks, including mpox, are social as much as they are biomedical events.   Immediate responses to these events can follow general public health principles—such as promoting equity and avoiding discrimination against vulnerable groups. However, research is needed to understand the specific behaviours, contexts, and needs of affected populations.

For the current mpox public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), a coordinated global response is underway to halt the spread of disease and protect the health of communities.

The coordinated Africa CDC, CEPI, NIHR, and WHO Research Roadmap for mpox (Sept 2024) set out ten priorities for the mpox research response. Research for “good participatory practices and community engagement” and “research integrated into response” are two of these critical priorities to controlling the outbreak.

To support these and other research efforts, WHO is developing interim guidelines for social and behavioural research on mpox. These guidelines aim to improve outcomes for people affected by and at risk of mpox outbreaks. The focus will be on operational research, that is, research that is done to directly inform operational response and will set out key scientific and ethical considerations, including for research done using rapid methods.  

The WHO seeks broad input to help develop these guidelines from diverse settings and roles in health care and research. This survey therefore aims to capture the views and priorities among different stakeholders on  what WHO should include in the guidance for social and behavioural research for the mpox response. 

It will take around 10 minutes to complete and your insights and time will be greatly appreciated.Many thanks.

How will we use the information from this form?

Data collected in this form may be published in a report, a scientific journal, and presented at a conference. Your identity will remain anonymous in all publications, release of the data and presentations of the findings. Your identity will only be requested if you give permission for us to keep in contact about your use of this data set. Your identity and contact details will not be shared beyond WHO and The Global Health Network research team that have worked on this guidance study.

The information that you supply will be treated in accordance with the University of Oxford's Data Protection Policy. This project has been reviewed and approved by the Oxford Tropical Research and Ethics Committee (OxTREC). Reference number OxTREC 541-18. For any other queries please email research@theglobalhealthnetwork.org.