Backgrounder: Funding to help community-based organizations address monkeypox   

Government of Canada supports community-based organizations to address monkeypox outbreak. This funding will support community prevention, education, awareness, and anti-stigma activities.

July 2022

The HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action Fund takes an integrated approach to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of prevention initiatives for these infections, along with other sexually transmitted and blood borne infections. This approach addresses common transmission routes, risk behaviours, affected populations and social determinants of health among these infections through targeted prevention, testing, care and treatment interventions.

Today’s announcement of $350,000 will support three organizations within the Advance Community Alliance, a pan-Canadian alliance of organizations addressing gay and bisexual men’s health, to increase their capacity to respond to the expressed needs of communities for prevention, education, awareness, and anti-stigma activities.

The following organizations will use the funding to amplify the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) messaging in a way that is culturally appropriate and stigma-free, to reach the populations who are currently affected by the outbreak:

• RÉZO in Montreal, currently the region with the highest number of cases, will receive $150,000 to support local and provincial outreach efforts.
• AIDS Committee of Toronto will receive $100,000.
• MAX Ottawa will receive $100,000.

This announcement is part of a $1 million commitment to support organizations across the country. A total of $550,000 will also be provided to the Community Based Research Centre (CBRC), H.I.M Health Initiative for Men Society in Vancouver, and the Queer and Trans Health Collective in Edmonton. The CBRC received $350,000, H.I.M will received $100,000, and the Queer and Trans Health Collective received $100,000. The remaining $100,000 is available through PHAC for contingency to support any emerging issues that arise in the monkeypox outbreak.

Since the outset of the monkeypox outbreak, PHAC has been working with domestic and international partners to protect the health of everyone in Canada. The Government of Canada activated its Health Portfolio Operations Centre with the confirmation of the first cases. The National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) continues to conduct testing to confirm a diagnosis of monkeypox for suspected cases, while provincial/territorial public health and health care systems are conducting case investigations and outbreak management. PHAC continues to provide regular updates on the monkeypox outbreak through public reporting and on Canada.ca/monkeypox, including posting interim infection, prevention and control (IPC) guidance, case and contact management guidance, a national monkeypox case definition, guidance for health professionals and information on risks and symptoms to increase awareness.

PHAC is working with stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations, Chief Medical Officers of Health through the Pan-Canadian Public Health Network and international partners/networks, to raise awareness among populations at higher risk. This includes equipping them with the guidance and tools necessary to help manage cases of monkeypox.

From a regional perspective, Quebec has declared a total of 320 cases of monkeypox as of July 19 (the vast majority being in Montreal). Provinces and territories determine their immunization programs based on their unique circumstances. As of July 18, Quebec has administered 12,553 doses of the Imvamune® vaccine to high-risk individuals. For more information on the location of vaccination in the Greater Montreal area, visit What you need to know about monkeypox in Montréal. The majority of Quebec regions have opened vaccination to the population at risk.

The global understanding of the monkeypox virus is still evolving, and Canada is providing leadership to help improve our understanding of the current monkeypox outbreak, including mobilizing experts and sharing available scientific evidence to inform the response. Canada will continue to work with the WHO and international partners to strengthen the global response to the current monkeypox outbreak.