Government of Canada partners with community-based organizations to address monkeypox outbreak

This funding will enable community prevention, education, awareness, and anti-stigma activities

July 21, 2022 | Montreal, Québec | Public Health Agency of Canada

Since the beginning of the monkeypox outbreak in Canada, the Government of Canada has used an evidence-based response model, which continues evolving based on the most recent data.

The Public Health Agency of Canada is working closely with provincial and territorial public health partners to ensure coordination of the national strategic response. They are investigating and monitoring monkeypox cases in Canada, as well as providing up to date guidance and information including on laboratory testing and vaccines.

Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, announced a total of $350,000 from the HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action Fund to support RÉZO in Montreal, AIDS Committee of Toronto, and MAX Ottawa - community-based organizations in the regions most impacted by the monkeypox outbreak. These three organizations actively collaborate as members of the Advance Community Alliance to share reliable and evidence-based information across Canada. The funding will help the organizations, which work with gay and bisexual men, increase their capacity to respond to the expressed needs of their communities for prevention, education, awareness, and anti-stigma activities.

The Government of Canada has been engaging stakeholders across the country, including community-based organizations in sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections and sexual health fields, to understand their information needs when it comes to the monkeypox outbreak. The organizations identified a need for more tools and information to help answer questions and direct members of their communities to credible information and resources. These organizations are trusted sources of information who will use the funding to amplify PHAC messaging in culturally appropriate and stigma-free way, to reach the most affected populations.

Regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and race, anyone can become infected and transmit monkeypox. Understanding of the virus is still evolving and information will continue to be provided as it becomes available.

Quotes

"Every community has its unique ways of sharing information. This funding will enable the organizations to amplify what they are already doing - increasing and maintaining awareness about the risks of monkeypox and sharing information in the most effective and compelling ways possible. By partnering with them, we are preventing the stigmatization of an infectious disease, helping communities understand the risk factors to adequately protect themselves."

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health

"I am pleased that this funding will help organizations such as RÉZO - a community-based organization here in Montreal that has been dedicated to promoting the health of gay and bisexual men, be they cis or trans, for more than three decades- to share information about monkeypox. This funding is an important step in increasing each organization's capacity, and collaborating to help slow the spread of the virus."

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Member of Parliament for Laurier-Sainte-Marie and Minister of Environment and Climate Change

"This additional funding for our organization, specific to Mpox, will help us to rapidly develop new information and awareness strategies for GBTQ+ men. This will allow us to better equip and support our communities to collectively decrease transmission, in addition to reducing stigma."

Alexandre Dumont Blais
Executive Director, RÉZO

“We are grateful to PHAC for these additional funds to support increased access to services and awareness about Mpox for GBTQ+ guys in Toronto. These funds will help us to support our communities to reduce transmission, access vaccinations, and to reduce stigma associated with Mpox.”

Ryan Lisk
Director of Community Health Programs, AIDS Committee of Toronto

Quick Facts

• Monkeypox is a viral disease that can spread from person-to-person through close contact including sexual contact, with an infected person's skin, bodily fluids, mucosal surfaces (such as eyes, mouth, throat, genitalia, and perianal area), and contaminated objects, such as sex toys, or shared personal items, such as clothing, linens, bedding, towels, toothbrushes, and utensils.
• The HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action Fund supports community-based interventions across Canada to address HIV, hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted and blood borne infections.
• A total of $350,000 from the HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action Fund is allocated to support three organizations within the Advance Community Alliance to engage populations currently affected by the monkeypox outbreak.
• The funding will help the organizations amplify the Public Health Agency of Canada's messaging in a way that is culturally appropriate and stigma-free, to reach the populations who are currently affected by the outbreak.

Related Products

• Backgrounder

Associated Links

• Monkeypox: outbreak update
• HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action Fund (CAF)
• Advance Community Alliance

Contacts

Marie-France Proulx
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health
613-957-0200

Public Inquiries:
613-957-2991
1-866-225-0709

Media Relations
Public Health Agency of Canada
613-957-2983
media@hc-sc.gc.ca