Dear Global Health Community, here is this week’s selection of news. This time, the chosen topic is communicable diseases, with a small section dedicated to the recent surge in “mpox”, formerly known as monkeypox.
As Christmas is approaching, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you nice holidays and a happy new year!
As the press monitoring will resume on January 2nd, this week we decided to present you with a selection of news and interesting articles that is a bit longer than usual.
What’s in the news?
Communicable diseases (CDs) threat report (ECDC. Dec. 16, 2022)
> The ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) is a weekly bulletin for epidemiologists and health professionals on active public health threats. At this link you can read its latest edition. https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/communicable-disease-th…
PAHO Elimination Initiative* which aims to decrease communicable diseases must be strengthened to recover gains lost during COVID-19 pandemic (PAHO, Dec. 13, 2022)
> Regional experts argue that to get back on track towards the Initiative’s 2030 goals, the implementation of the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) Elimination Initiative must be accelerated. https://www.paho.org/en/news/13-12-2022-paho-elimination-initiative-whi…
*Disease Elimination Initiative: Towards Healthier Generations (PAHO)
> Head to this website to know more about how the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) seeks to end more than 30 diseases and conditions by 2030. https://www.paho.org/en/disease-free-generations
Conference: Monkeypox (MPOX) Update (PAHO, Dec. 15, 2022)
> On the 15th of December, a conference took place to update on the current mpox situation in affected countries. At the following link, it is possible to watch the recorded conference. https://www.paho.org/en/events/monkeypox-mpox-update
Recommendations for ethical monkeypox (mpox) surveillance (PAHO, Dec. 8, 2022)
> The monkeypox (mpox) outbreak predominantly affects gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men and face the risks of discrimination and stigmatization. This brief document provides recommendations aimed at ensuring that mpox surveillance is conducted ethically.
https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/56834
WHO recommends new name for monkeypox disease (WHO, Nov. 28, 2022)
> Due to a surge in racist and stigmatizing language following the increase of monkeypox expanded earlier this year, WHO will begin using a new preferred term “mpox” as a synonym for monkeypox. Both names will be used simultaneously for one year while “monkeypox” is phased out. https://www.who.int/news/item/28-11-2022-who-recommends-new-name-for-mo…
Monkeypox revives painful memories of HIV years for LGTBQI+ community (Geneva Solutions, Aug. 3, 2022)
> In relation to the news above, this article from August tells us how for HIV/AIDS researchers, people in the LGBTQI+ community and global health workers across the world, the current discourse around monkeypox reminds them of the early days of HIV. https://genevasolutions.news/global-health/monkeypox-revives-painful-me…