The World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox (previously monkeypox) a public health emergency of international concern in July 2022. Globally, 87 858 confirmed mpox cases have been reported, including 90 cases from WHO Eastern Mediterranean region (EMRO). As for any outbreak, meaningful engagement of affected communities is central to an effective public health response towards mpox. Given that mpox is an emerging disease in EMRO, communities expressed the need for building their capacity and to be aware of up-to-date information on mpox to effectively engage in national response as well as to raise awareness within their communities.
To address the community needs, WHO EMRO organized a three-day community training (2-4 May 2023) in Beirut, Lebanon. This was a collaboration between WHO technical units in EMR responsible for HIV, hepatitis and STIs (Department of Communicable Diseases) and Risk Communication and Community Engagement (WHO Health Emergencies Programme). The WHO country office and national AIDS programme in Lebanon hosted the event. The training was attended by nearly 30 participants from five countries including Lebanon, Pakistan, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan. Participants represented community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations and regional networks.
The training provided the latest global and regional epidemiological situation, how to prevent the disease, management and care of those infected and how to prevent onward transmission. A key highlight was field visits to two community organizations actively engaged in mpox response and identification and management of mpox patients. Lebanon is the only country in the EMR where mpox response has been led by the national AIDS programme with highly functional coordination between the national programme and community-based organizations. "In Lebanon, mpox was quickly integrated into HIV programme, which allowed us to efficiently build on our existing partnerships with community-based organizations and mobilize resources," said Dr Mostafa Nakib, National AIDS Programme Manager.
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The training included field visits to two community-based organizations in Beirut that provide services to communities on HIV, STIs and mpox.
During the workshop, participants also engaged in hands on activities and developed key messages to raise awareness within their communities. "The training was much needed. There is a lot of misinformation in the community regarding mpox which is contributing to stigma and discrimination towards our communities," commented one training participant. "With all this information we feel more capable to go back to our countries and advocate for effective response and raise awareness."
The training was timely. Due to declining mpox cases globally, in May 2023 WHO declared that mpox is no longer a public health emergency of international concern and the countries are now required to develop long term control and surveillance strategies. The countries can consider integrating mpox into their routine HIV/AIDS programmes for a sustainable response. Ongoing community engagement remains a key pillar of an effective response in countries. "The job is not done yet. We encourage countries to integrate mpox into their routine programmes and improve preparedness for future outbreaks," said Joumana Hermez, Regional Advisor HIV, Hepatitis and STIs, WHO EMRO.
