OTTAWA –
The federal government plans to give $1 million to community organizations around the country to provide gay and bisexual men with information about monkeypox and combat the stigma surrounding the disease. this disease.
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said community organization REZO in Montreal will receive $150,000 to support local and provincial outreach efforts, and the Toronto AIDS Commission and MAX Ottawa will each receive get $100,000.
Guilbeault made the announcement at REZO because the health minister was not present.
Canada’s Public Health Agency says the disease is mainly transmitted among men who report having intimate contact with men, but anyone can get monkeypox.
As of Wednesday, there were 604 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Canada, with the majority in Quebec and Ontario.
Two institutions in Vancouver and one in Edmonton are also expected to receive funds, and the Public Health Agency will keep $100,000 in reserve to address any emerging smallpox-related problems in the United States. monkey.
Monkeypox comes from the same family of viruses that cause smallpox, which the World Health Organization declared to have eradicated globally in 1980. The smallpox vaccine has proven effective against the virus. monkeypox withdrawal.
Guilbeault said he was confident Canada would have enough vaccine to tackle the spread of the disease, but he had no further details on how much supply Canada has or is trying to get.
The virus is generally not contagious and is transmitted by prolonged close contact via respiratory droplets, direct contact with skin lesions or bodily fluids, or through contaminated clothing or bedding.
Common symptoms include a rash, lesions in the mouth and genitals, and swollen lymph nodes.
This report by the Canadian Press was first published on July 21, 2022.
