PandemicPreparedness

The WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) have published interim advice for summer events aimed at public health authorities, but also at business owners and events participants. As large events represent an environment conducive to transmission of monkeypox virus, the advice has been issued to control the risk of monkeypox to public health.

WHO and ECDC advise that public health authorities should identify key stakeholders and establish a line of communication with them prior and during the event to understand the nature of the event and the audience. Social media and internet are suggested as communication channels to raise awareness and promote prevention of transmission. Recommendations also include liaising with local health care providers and professionals, providing health pretravel advice for participants travelling from abroad, and encouraging participants to keep contact details of sexual or other close contact, should contact tracing be needed. The health messaging should strongly discourage attendance if individuals have symptoms of monkeypox.

Risk communication should balance risk of exposure of those at risk and that of the wider population. Information should target, but not be solely focus on specific groups, such as men who have sex with men, and could be extended to other gatherings that may be linked to the main event, such as bars, public spaces, or sex-on-premises venues.

Emphasis should be placed on promotion of good personal hygiene and risk reduction strategies during sexual contact. Guidance on cleaning of communal areas should be issued to organizers.

Following the event, public health authorities should remain in communication with all stakeholders involved, with information focused on monkeypox symptoms and where to get tested should symptoms develop.

Organizers and business and venue owners should focus on health promotion information and advice on where to get testing and treatment if needed. This content should be available for up to four to six weeks after the event.

The WHO and ECDC recommend that public health authorities engage with target groups and community organizations to provide health messaging to enable individuals to make decisions to protect their health and this additional interim advice on Risk Communication and Community Engagement to Member states can be viewed here.