Canadian public health claims to take the spread of monkeypox around the world very seriously and claims to have implemented several initiatives to curb the epidemic on Canadian soil.
• Read also: Monkey pox: WHO triggers its highest level of alert
• Read also: 4 Tips to Avoid Getting and Spreading Monkeypox
• Read also: Monkey pox: US struggles to meet demand for vaccines
Following the decision of the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise its highest level of alert to combat this disease, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) issued a press release in which she promises to continue working with the provinces and territories.
“Since the start of the epidemic, the Government of Canada’s top priority has been to protect the health of all Canadians,” says PHAC.
So far, Canada has 681 cases of monkeypox detected in five provinces. Ottawa, however, expects the number of cases to continue to rise in the coming weeks.
Here are seven actions PHAC is taking to fight monkeypox in Canada:
– Provide control materials and protocols to provinces and territories to support decentralized testing, case investigation and outbreak management.
– Funding announced to support community organizations in the most affected regions, to quickly inform the population on how to protect themselves.
– Raise awareness among most-at-risk populations by collaborating with non-governmental organizations, Chief Medical Officers of Health and affected communities.
– Provide public health officials and responders with the tools to manage cases.
– Regularly inform the population about the epidemic through public reports and via the website Canada.ca/variolesinge
– Exercise leadership to improve general understanding of the disease and the evolution of the pandemic, by mobilizing experts and disseminating scientific evidence.
– The Health Portfolio Operations Center and the National Microbiology Laboratory Operations Center have both activated Level 2 to support the monkeypox response and assist with screening.