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Reducing risk of exposure

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As monkeypox cases surge globally, the World Health Organization called on the group currently most affected by the virus – men who have sex with men – to limit their sexual partners.

When WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared monkeypox a global health emergency, he told reporters the best way to protect against infection was “to reduce the risk of exposure.”

A surge in infections has been reported since early May outside the West and Central African countries where the disease has long been endemic.  This week, Tedros said that more than 18,000 cases of monkeypox have now been reported to WHO from 78 countries, with 70 percent of cases reported in Europe and 25 percent in the Americas. Five deaths have been reported in the outbreak since May, and around 10 percent of those infected end up in hospital to manage the pain, he added.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last week found that 98 percent of infected people were gay or bisexual men, and 95 percent of cases were transmitted through sexual activity. However, it has not been labeled as a sexually transmitted infection and experts warn against thinking that only one community is affected, stressing that it spreads through regular skin-to-skin contact, and also through droplets or touching contaminated bedding or towels in a household setting.

The WHO has repeatedly warned against stigma around the disease, which it fears could dissuade those infected from seeking treatment. “Stigma and discrimination can be as dangerous as any virus, and can fuel the outbreak,” Tedros said.

The message is simple. Monkeypox has been declared a global health emergency and it will need everybody’s cooperation if we are to keep it under control. The most affected communities may have to pay more attention and do a little bit more, but in an interconnected world, everyone has to do their part when it comes to preventing the spread of infectious diseases.

In the case of monkeypox, the effectivity of the strategy of reducing the risk of exposure and avoiding the stigmatization of the disease will depend on how well the most affected communities, their loved ones, and the people around them can heed the advice of the WHO.*

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